The tumor necrosis factor inhibitor adalimumab (Humira) reduced pain and the risk of adverse events in patients with psoriatic arthritis, researchers found.
Adalimumab reduced the risk of adverse events by 75% compared with placebo (1.1 events versus 4.8%; P=0.025) and significantly reduced pain related to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (–31.3 visual analog scale units versus –5.6; P<0.0001), according to results of a study published in the January issue of Dermatology.
After 16 weeks, patients who took adalimumab were more likely to improve (56.9 versus 4.5%, P<0.001) and responded to treatment for a greater percentage of follow-up time (39.3% versus 2.9%, P<0.0001) than placebo-treated patients, Philip J. Mease, MD, of Seattle Rheumatology Associates, and colleagues reported.
"Given the substantial prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis and the increased health-related quality of life and economic burden associated with psoriatic arthritis," they wrote, "the benefits of adalimumab therapy for psoriatic arthritis-related symptoms should be considered when evaluating the benefits, risks, and costs of adalimumab treatment for patients with psoriasis who have a history of psoriatic arthritis."
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/18225Lynn, I'm a living, breathing example of this study. I've been off Humira for 2 months and my PsA is now worse than the RA. Tendon and muscle pain has increased much more than joint pain. I'm in a double flare right now until I start Orencia in 2 weeks. Thanks for the article that confirms how I feel. Lindy