Combining a Steroid with a TNF Inhibitor for RA Treatment

Many patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are familiar with treatments such as steroids, biologics, or traditional immune suppressants. However, not all patients respond to these standard therapies. Recognizing this challenge, scientists have explored a novel drug called ABBV-3373. This drug combines a steroid with an inhibitor against TNF, an immune system molecule implicated in various autoimmune diseases. The results of this exploratory trial have been published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology, titled “Efficacy and Safety of ABBV-3373, a Novel Anti–Tumor Necrosis Factor Glucocorticoid Receptor Modulator Antibody–Drug Conjugate, in Adults with Moderate-to-Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Despite Methotrexate Therapy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled Proof-of-Concept Phase IIa Trial.” 

The trial enrolled 48 adults with moderate-to-severe RA who were already receiving methotrexate. Participants were divided into groups receiving either ABBV-3373 or adalimumab, an already approved drug that works as a TNF inhibitor alone. Scientists assessed changes in the 28-joint Disease Activity Score with C-reactive protein (DAS-28-CRP), which measures patient symptoms. They found that patients receiving ABBV-3373 experienced improvements in DAS-28-CRP scores comparable to those receiving adalimumab. Additional data examining other measures of severity, such as the clinical disease activity index, showed greater improvement with ABBV-3373 compared to adalimumab. ABBV-3373 was generally well tolerated.

This trial, though small, successfully demonstrated proof of concept. Further large-scale trials are necessary to confirm its safety and effectiveness before it potentially becomes available to patients.

Citation:

Buttgereit, F., et al. (2023). Efficacy and Safety of ABBV-3373, a Novel Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Glucocorticoid Receptor Modulator Antibody-Drug Conjugate, in Adults with Moderate-to-Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Despite Methotrexate Therapy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled Proof-of-Concept Phase IIa Trial. Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 75(6), 879–889. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.42415