Etanercept versus methotrexate in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: two-year radiographic and clinical outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who received monotherapy with either etanercept or methotrexate (MTX) for 2 years and to assess the safety of this therapy.


METHODS
In the Enbrel ERA (early rheumatoid arthritis) trial, 632 patients with early, active RA were randomized to receive either twice-weekly subcutaneous etanercept (10 mg or 25 mg) or weekly oral MTX (mean dosage 19 mg per week) for at least 1 year in a double-blind manner. Following the blinded phase of the trial, 512 patients continued to receive the therapy to which they had been randomized for up to 1 additional year, in an open-label manner. Radiograph readers remained blinded to treatment group assignment and the chronologic order of images.


RESULTS
At 24 months, more 25-mg etanercept patients than MTX patients met American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria (72% and 59%, respectively; P = 0.005), and more had no increase in total score and erosion scores on the Sharp scale (P = 0.017 and P = 0.012, respectively). The mean changes in total Sharp score and erosion score in the 25-mg etanercept group (1.3 and 0.66 units, respectively) were significantly lower than those in the MTX group (3.2 and 1.86 units, respectively; P = 0.001). Significantly more patients in the 25-mg etanercept group (55%) than in the MTX group (37%) had at least 0.5 units of improvement in the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index (P < 0.001). Fewer patients in the etanercept group than in the MTX group experienced adverse events or discontinued treatment because of adverse events.


CONCLUSIONS
Etanercept as monotherapy was safe and was superior to MTX in reducing disease activity, arresting structural damage, and decreasing disability over 2 years in patients with early, aggressive RA.
Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1000 Welch Road #203, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. genovese@stanford.edu
Mark C
MC
Genovese
Joan M
JM
Bathon
Richard W
RW
Martin
Roy M
RM
Fleischmann
John R
JR
Tesser
Michael H
MH
Schiff
Edward C
EC
Keystone
Mary Chester
MC
Wasko
Larry W
LW
Moreland
Arthur L
AL
Weaver
Joseph
J
Markenson
Grant W
GW
Cannon
George
G
Spencer-Green
Barbara K
BK
Finck
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D011859:Radiography; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D000068800:Etanercept; D008727:Methotrexate