Methotrexate and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Current Evidence Regarding Subcutaneous Versus Oral Routes of Administration.

ABSTRACT:

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Methotrexate (MTX) is still considered the drug of choice in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management. Comparing subcutaneous (MTX SC) and oral (MTX OR) routes of administration is important to optimize the everyday therapeutic strategy in the real-life setting. This review summarizes scientific evidence currently available on this topic. As shown by pharmacokinetic studies, at the same dose level, bioavailability of MTX SC is significantly higher and less variable than that of MTX OR. This difference is even more pronounced for medium-to-high dosages (i.e., >15 mg/week). With regard to clinical response (Disease Activity Score-28, American College of Rheumatology Criteria), randomized, double-blind studies and retrospective or longitudinal analyses in real-life settings sho

SUBMITTER: Bianchi G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4833794 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature