Predictors of abatacept retention over 2 years in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from the real-world ACTION study.

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate abatacept retention over 2 years in the AbataCepT In rOutiNe clinical practice (ACTION) study.

METHOD

ACTION was an international, observational study of patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who initiated intravenous abatacept. Crude abatacept retention rates over 2 years were estimated using Kaplan-Meier analyses in biologic-naive and -failure patients. Clinically relevant risk factors and significant prognostic factors for retention were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards multivariable model.

RESULTS

Overall, 2350/2364 enrolled patients were evaluable; 673 (28.6%) were biologic naive and 1677 (71.4%) had prior biologic failure (1 biologic, 728/1677 [43.4%]; ≥ 2 biologics, 949/1677 [56.6%]). Abatacept retention rate (95% confidence interval [CI]) at 2 years was 47.9% (45.7, 50.0): 54.5% (50.4, 58.3) for biologic-naive vs 45.2% (42.7, 47.7) for biologic-failure patients (log-rank P < 0.001). For patients with 1 and ≥ 2 prior biologic failures, respectively, retention rates (95% CI) were 50.2% (46.3, 53.9) vs 41.3% (38.0, 44.6; log-rank P < 0.001). Main reasons for discontinuation (biologic-naive vs biologic-failure, respectively) were lack of efficacy (61.4 vs 67.7%) and safety (21.3 vs 21.2%). Rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) double positivity versus negativity were predictive of higher retention in both biologic-naive (hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI] 0.71 [0.53, 0.96]; P = 0.019) and biologic-failure patients (HR [95% CI] 0.76 [0.62, 0.94]; P = 0.035).

CONCLUSIONS

Abatacept initiation as earlier vs later line of therapy in RA may achieve higher 2-year retention rates. RF and anti-CCP seropositivity could predict increased abatacept retention, irrespective of treatment line.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT02109666.