title: A randomised efficacy and discontinuation study of etanercept versus adalimumab (RED SEA) for rheumatoid arthritis: a pragmatic, unblinded, non-inferiority study of first TNF inhibitor use: outcomes over 2 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare adalimumab versus etanercept in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to test the hypothesis that adalimumab was not inferior to etanercept in terms of drug continuation by a margin of 15% after 52 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pragmatic, randomised, parallel group, multicentre, unblinded and non-inferiority trial. Randomisation stratified by baseline use of methotrexate.
  
  
  METHODS
  125 adults with active RA despite treatment with two disease-modifying drugs (DMARDs), including methotrexate randomised (1 : 1) to adalimumab 40 mg alternate weeks or etanercept 50 mg weekly, added to existing medication.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome was proportion of patients continuing treatment after 52 weeks. Secondary outcomes included: disease activity score using 28 joints (DAS28), treatment satisfaction (TSQM V.2), health status (Euroqol-5D), drug toxicity and persistence with therapy after 2 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Persistence with therapy was 65% for adalimumab versus 56.7% for etanercept (one-sided 95% CI for proportion still taking adalimumab minus proportion on etanercept ≥-7.9%); demonstrating non-inferiority at the 15% margin. After 2 years these figures were: adalimumab 58.3% and etanecept 43.3% (CI ≥-1.7%). The proportion of good, moderate and non-responders based on DAS28-C reactive protein, after 52 weeks, were 26.3%, 33.3% and 40.4%, respectively, for adalimumab versus 16.7%, 31.7% and 51.7%, respectively, for etanercept (p=0.158). Baseline median EQ-5D scores improved from 0.52 to 0.69 for adalimumab and from 0.52 to 0.64 for etanercept (p=0.046) after 52 weeks. Global satisfaction, effectiveness, side effects and convenience scores based on the TSQM were similar for both drugs. Fourteen serious adverse events occurred including two deaths from myocardial infarction, one patient with ovarian cancer and one with acute myeloid leukaemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians choosing a first tumour necrosis factor inhibitor for active RA, despite trying two DMARDs including methotrexate, may choose either adalimumab or etanercept in the knowledge that these drugs are similarly effective.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  EU Clinical Trials Register 2006-006275-21/GB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology,  Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham,  UK.
authors.forename: Paresh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jobanputra
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maggs
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deeming
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carruthers
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rankin
authors.forename: Alison C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faizal
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goddard
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pugh
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brailsford
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nightingale