Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Patients Taking Enbrel Keep Working for Longer

Maidenhead, England (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Study Published in Rheumatology Underscores the Need for Early
and Aggressive Treatment to Maintain Work Productivity

Patients receiving Enbrel(R) (etanercept) in combination with
methotrexate for early RA are more likely to continue working,
according to the COMET study published today in Rheumatology.

One year results from the COMET study - which compared the impact
of methotrexate alone with methotrexate in combination with Enbrel on
work productivity - showed that active early RA patients receiving
the Enbrel-methotrexate combination were nearly three times less
likely to stop working compared to patients receiving methotrexate
alone. Furthermore, work absenteeism was reduced by almost 50 per
cent in the combination group.[1]

RA is a chronic and progressive disease that affects 2.9 million
people across Europe.[2] As the disease progresses, RA can cause
permanent damage to the joints, resulting in deformity and loss of
independence.

The prevention of work productivity loss represents benefit
beyond the traditional measures of disease improvement. The economic
impact of RA is significant, with an estimated EUR45 billion spent on
the disease in Europe each year. Of this, 32 per cent of the total
cost is likely due to work disability and decrease in work
productivity.[2] Results from previous studies suggest that even in
the early stages of disease, RA can impact a person's ability to
work.[1] In the COMET study, half of the work stoppages observed
occurred in the first three months of the trial.[1]

"Keeping a person gainfully employed represents a benefit to
society, above and beyond, the clinical benefits of treatment" said
Professor Aslam Anis, School of Population and Public Health,
University of British Columbia and lead author of the paper. "The
fact that half of the work stoppages occurred in the first three
months of this trial, together with the fact that there were
significantly fewer work stoppages in the Enbrel-methotrexate
combination group, underscore the importance of early and aggressive
treatment of RA."

During the COMET (COmbination of Methotrexate and ETanercept)
study, work absenteeism was recorded over 12 months amongst 205
patients with early active RA. Total absenteeism was defined as a
composite of number of missed workdays, reduced working time and
number of days patients were unemployed as a result of their RA.

At the end of one year:[1]

- The number of missed workdays in the group receiving combination
treatment of Enbrel and methotrexate (14.2 days) was approximately half
that of patients receiving methotrexate monotherapy (31.9 days)
- In total, the Enbrel combination group missed up to 37 fewer total days
due to absenteeism than the methotrexate monotherapy group
- 24 per cent of patients in the monotherapy group had to stop work at
least once during the year, compared to 8.6 per cent of patients in the
combination therapy group

Previously published data from the COMET trial showed that early
treatment of RA can halt the joint damage seen as the disease
progresses - 80 per cent of patients in the combination group
experienced no further joint damage as measured by x-rays.
Furthermore, 50 per cent of patients experienced a sustained
reduction in disease activity as measured by the number of swollen
joints (i.e. clinical remission) and 55 per cent achieved normal
physical functioning, as measured by the Health Assessment
Questionnaire.[3]

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References

1. Anis A et al. The effect of etanercept on work productivity in
patients with early active rheumatoid arthritis: results from the
COMET study. Rheumatology doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kep239. E-Pub, 18
August 2009

2. Lundkvist et al. The burden of rheumatoid arthritis and access
to treatment: health burden and costs. Eur J Health Econ 2008;8
(Suppl.2):S49-60

3. Emery P et al. Comparison of methotrexate monotherapy with a
combination of methotrexate and etanercept in active, early, moderate
to severe rheumatoid arthritis (COMET): a randomised, double-blind,
parallel treatment trial. Lancet. 2008;372:375-382

ots Originaltext: Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

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