csDMARDS for Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Project Status:
Completed
Project Line:
Health Technology Review
Project Sub Line:
Technology Review
Project Number:
HE0029-000

The project OP0539 csDMARDs for Rheumatoid Arthritis will not be conducted as proposed due to changes in the needs of the jurisdictional customer. As a result, the objectives and needs are being reassessed and a revised project will be introduced in the near future.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic disease characterized by inflammation of the synovial lining of the joints, tendons, and periarticular structures. Definitive treatments that have disease-modifying potential include glucocorticoids, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs ([csDMARDs], such as methotrexate, sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, and leflunomide), biologic DMARDs (tumour necrosis factor [TNF] inhibitors and non-TNF inhibitors), or targeted synthetic DMARDs ([tsDMARDs], such as the Janus kinase [JAK] inhibitors tofacitinib and baricitinib). The use of DMARDs leads to an improvement in pain and function for patients with RA, as well as additional long-term outcomes such as less disease progression and less disability.

There is a need to understand the comparative effectiveness of the different drug classes before determining which drug within a drug class is the most clinically effective and cost-effective alternative. This project aimed to determine if there are significant differences in clinical effectiveness between the double and triple csDMARDs combinations.