Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors versus combination intensive therapy with conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in established rheumatoid arthritis: TACIT non-inferiority randomised controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine whether intensive combinations of synthetic disease modifying drugs can achieve similar clinical benefits at lower costs to high cost biologics such as tumour necrosis factor inhibitors in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis resistant to initial methotrexate and other synthetic disease modifying drugs.

Design

Open label pragmatic randomised multicentre two arm non-inferiority trial over 12 months.

Setting

24 rheumatology clinics in England.

Participants

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were eligible for treatment with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors according to current English guidance were randomised to either the tumour necrosis factor inhibitor strategy or the combined disease modifying drug strategy.

Interventions

SUBMITTER: Scott DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4358851 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature