Objective: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) inhibitors have transformed management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, many patients discontinue TNF inhibitors. Our goal was to determine the discontinuation rate of TNF inhibitors and identify predictors associated with discontinuation.
Methods: Enrollees in the Brigham RA Sequential Study (BRASS) formed the eligible cohort. Patients reporting use of a TNF inhibitor with at least 6 months of followup were followed until reporting TNF inhibitor discontinuation or their last study visit if they continued therapy. Potential predictor variables, including demographic and clinical data assessed at baseline and 6 months prior to study endpoint, were identified using a Cox proportional regression.
Results: Among 961 patients in BRASS, 503 were using a TNF inhibitor with at least 6 months of followup in BRASS (mean length of followup 39 mo, SD 13). Two hundred ten patients (42%) reported discontinuation of TNF inhibitor. Higher physician global scores (hazard ratio 1.27, 95% CI 1.18-1.38) and RA Disease Activity Index scores (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.05-1.22) 6 months prior to stopping the TNF inhibitor and higher number of TNF inhibitors used previously (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.03-1.66) were associated with discontinuation of TNF inhibitor. Prior use of synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.34-0.72) and more years of cumulative methotrexate use (HR 0.24, 95% CI 0.12-0.47) were inversely associated with discontinuation of TNF inhibitor.
Conclusion: These data demonstrate that a significant number of patients with RA discontinue TNF inhibitors. Several easily characterized clinical variables have a modest predictive association with reduced probability of TNF inhibitor discontinuation.