Comparison of 2 doses of etanercept (50 vs 100 mg) in active rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized double blind study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the safety and efficacy of etanercept 50 mg administered twice weekly versus 25 mg administered twice weekly as monotherapy in patients with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) blocker-naäve active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
Seventy-seven patients with RA were randomized in an unequal allocation (2:1) in a blinded fashion to receive either 50 mg (51 patients) or 25 mg (26 patients) of etanercept twice a week for 24 weeks.


RESULTS
The primary outcome measure, the ACR-N AUC at 24 weeks, showed no difference between the 2 dose groups. In addition, there was no difference in ACR 20, 50, and 70 responses or in EULAR response criteria by Week 24. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in the proportion of patients with any non-infectious adverse event. The proportion of patients with upper respiratory tract infections was significantly higher in patients receiving 50 mg etanercept compared with those receiving 25 mg (26% vs 4%, p = 0.027).


CONCLUSIONS
Etanercept as a monotherapy at 50 mg twice weekly does not provide increased efficacy when compared to the standard dose of 25 mg twice weekly in TNF-alpha blocker-naäve patients.
Johnsen
Alyssa K
AK
Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Schiff
Michael H
MH
Mease
Philip J
PJ
Moreland
Larry W
LW
Maier
Agnes L
AL
Coblyn
Jonathan S
JS
Helfgott
Simon M
SM
Leff
Jonathan A
JA
Weinblatt
Michael E
ME
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000068800:Etanercept