Simponi® (golimumab) for people with RA

who had a poor response to other anti-TNF

treatments

Taken from NRAS magazine, Winter 2009

A study called GO-AFTER has shown that Simponi® (golimumab), a new tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor, reduces the signs and symptoms of RA in people who have previously received other TNF-α inhibitors.

Although anti TNF drugs are frequently used to treat RA, 30% to 50% of the people receiving them have an inadequate response or do not tolerant them.

The GO-AFTER trial assessed the safety and efficacy of golimumab in 461 people with active RA who had been treated before with one or more anti TNF drugs (such as etanercept, adalimumab, or infliximab). They received at random injections of placebo, 50mg of golimumab, or 100mg of golimumab every 4 weeks for 24 weeks. The American College of Rheumatology criteria for assessment of RA called ACR 20 was used to measure improvements and after fourteen weeks the results indicated that many more people receiving golimumab had achieved at least a 20 percent improvement in arthritis symptoms than those on placebo. Serious adverse events were reported in 5 % of people on 50mg golimumab, 4 % on 100mg golimumab and 10 % of patients on placebo.

These results indicate that golimumab might be a good alternative for people who have inadequate responses to other anti-TNF inhibitors.