Drug Survival on First Biologic Therapy Among Late-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Compared to Early-Onset Patients: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Helana Jeries, Rula Daood, Basem Hijazi, Avivit Golan-Cohen, Ilan Green, Eugene Merzon, Mohammad E. Naffaa, Fadi Hassan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients can be divided according to the age of disease onset and classified as late-onset RA ≥ 60 years old or early-onset RA < 60 years old. Current treatment guidelines do not stipulate any preference regarding the biologic that should be used first in the late-onset group. This study aims to compare the drug survival times on first biological treatment between late and early-onset RA patients. Methods: This is a population based cohort study using the medical records of Leumit healthcare services. We included all eligible RA patients between 2000 and 2017. RA patients were divided into late- and early-onset RA groups and compared according to drug survival time on the first biological therapy. Results: The final cohort included 3814 RA patients, 2807 (73.6%) of whom had early-onset RA. Overall, biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) were used more often among early-onset compared to late-onset patients (16.9% vs. 7.8%, p < 0.001). Among early-onset patients, etanercept was associated with the longest drug survival time on the first biologic, and adalimumab and infliximab were associated with the longest drug survival times among late-onset patients. No differences were observed in drug survival times between late and early-onset patients on the first bDMARD, except for abatacept and golimumab with longer drug survival time among early-onset patients. Conclusion: Late-onset RA patients were treated with biologics to a lesser extent than early-onset patients, but no differences were observed in drug survival times at the first bDMARD between the two groups.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere1928
JournalMusculoskeletal Care
Volume22
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Musculoskeletal Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Keywords

  • biologic therapy
  • early-onset rheumatoid arthritis
  • late onset rheumatoid arthritis
  • persistence
  • rheumatoid arthritis

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