Infliximab (Remicade®), currently an approved treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and Chron’s disease, is now FDA approved for reducing signs and symptoms of active arthritis in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Data from the Induction and Maintenance of Psoriatic Arthritis Clinical Trial 2 (IMPACT 2) served as the primary basis for the approval. (See summary of 14-week data in our Eular Highlights) In a phase III trial of 200 patients with psoriatic arthritis, at week 24, more than one third (39%) of patients receiving Remicade achieved PASI 90 compared with 0% of patients receiving placebo. Responses were achieved regardless of methotrexate use or level of joint involvement at baseline.
Psoriatic arthritis is a heterogenous group of arthritides ranging from peripheral monarticular, oligoarticular and polyarticular disease, to axial skeletal involvement affecting approximately 1 million Americans.
