Today, Abbott (NYSE: ABT) presents results from a pooled analysis of two pivotal HUMIRA® (adalimumab) studies, which look at patients with early and long-standing moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), at the American College of Rheumatology meeting in Atlanta.
The study looked at inflammation and structural damage of the joints in early and long-standing RA and their relationship with deteriorating physical function in each stage of the disease. In patients with early RA (less than three years), inflammation was more strongly correlated to worsening physical function than in patients with long-standing RA. Structural damage showed stronger correlation to worsening physical function in long-standing RA compared to early RA.
"We know that RA is a progressive disease, and for years we've hypothesized about what is driving these changes in physical function," said Primary Investigator Martin Bergman, M.D., clinical associate professor of medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine and chief of the division of rheumatology at Taylor Hospital. "These data are important because they can help advance our understanding of how RA changes over time."
RA is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects approximately 1.3 million people in the U.S. Typically, RA is characterized by pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints of hands, feet and wrists and often leads to the erosion of joints.
"These data and analyses provide additional insights into RA which we hope will inform better patient care in the future," said Eugene Sun, M.D., vice president, Global Pharmaceutical Development, Abbott.
Obesity crisis in the U.S. expected to worsen by 2050