1 in 3 patients with rheumatoid arthritis is not adequately controlled by bDMARD therapy after 1 year.1 Many learn to settle with continued symptoms, despite being on treatment. Tools, such as the RAPID3 patient-reported assessment, can help you identify which patients may need another treatment option to reach remission—before additional damage takes place.
Seeing the need
Many patients have difficulty communicating their disease burden.
- In a real-world study of 6,209 patients with RA collected from the Corrona registry from 2002 to 2011, nearly 1 in 3 patients with RA was not adequately controlled by bDMARD therapy after 1 year.1
- Many patients with RA feel unable to communicate their disease burden and treatment goals to their HCP.2
- Patients with RA are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and increased levels of mortality and suicide.3
- RA symptoms, such as pain, fatigue, and limitations in physical function, affect patients' attendance at work and work performance.4
Taking action
Is there more you can do to monitor disease progression and adjust therapy accordingly?
- RAPID3 continues to be an important tool in clinical practice to assess disease activity; it allows for rapid scoring and was shown to correlate to other disease activity measures.5
- RAPID3 and CDAI are ACR-recommended RA disease activity measures that can be used to facilitate a treat-to-target approach.6
- After failure of the first TNFi, ACR Guidelines conditionally recommend switching to a non-TNFi.7*
- The 2021 ACR Guidelines for RA state that treatment decisions should be reevaluated within a minimum of 3 months based on efficacy and tolerability of the DMARD(s) chosen.7
Access the RAPID3 survey.
Importance of remission
What could remission mean for your patients with RA?
- Sustained remission in RA is associated with improved outcomes in regard to function, patient-reported outcomes, and survival.8
- As duration of sustained remission in RA increases, the likelihood of experiencing active disease decreases.8
*This recommendation is based on very low-certainty evidence.7
ACR=American College of Rheumatology; AS=ankylosing spondylitis; bDMARD=biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; CDAI=Clinical Disease Activity Index; HCP=healthcare provider; RA=rheumatoid arthritis; RAPID3=Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3; TNFi=tumor necrosis factor inhibitor.
References: 1. Strand V, Miller P, Williams SA, Saunders K, Grant S, Kremer J. Discontinuation of biologic therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: analysis from the Corrona RA Registry. Rheumatol Ther. 2017;4(2):489-502. doi:10.1007/s40744-017-0078-y 2. Strand V, Wright GC, Bergman MJ, Tambiah J, Taylor PC. Patient expectations and perceptions of goal-setting strategies for disease management in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2015;42(11):2046-2054. doi:10.3899/jrheum.140976 3. Gettings L. Psychological well-being in rheumatoid arthritis: a review of the literature. Musculoskeletal Care. 2010;8(2):99-106. doi:10.1002/msc.171 4. Strand V, Khanna D. The impact of rheumatoid arthritis and treatment on patients’ lives. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010;28(3 suppl 59):S32-S40. doi:10.1002/msc.171 5. Ward MM, Castrejon I, Bergman MJ, Alba MI, Guthrie LC, Pincus T. Minimal clinically important improvement of Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2019;46(1):27-30. doi:10.3899/jrheum.180153 6. England BR, Tiong BK, Bergman MJ, et al. 2019 update of the American College of Rheumatology recommended rheumatoid arthritis disease activity measures. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2019;71(12):1540-1555. doi:10.1002/acr.24042 7. Fraenkel L, Bathon JM, England BR, et al. 2021 American College of Rheumatology guideline for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care Res. 2021;73(7):924-939. doi:10.1002/acr.24596 8. Ajeganova S, Huizinga T. Sustained remission in rheumatoid arthritis: latest evidence and clinical considerations. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2017;9(10):249-262. doi:10.1177/1759720X17720366