Trial Outcomes & Findings for A Study of Guselkumab and Golimumab Combination Therapy in Participants With Active Psoriatic Arthritis (NCT NCT05071664)

A Study of Guselkumab and Golimumab Combination Therapy in Participants With Active Psoriatic Arthritis

MDA was a measure that defines a satisfactory state of disease activity that includes 5 domains of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (joint symptoms, skin psoriasis, patient's perspective of pain and disease activity on arthritis and psoriasis, physical function and enthesitis). Participants were classified as achieving MDA if they fulfilled 5 of the following 7 criteria at that visit: Tender joint count (68 joints) \<=1, Swollen joint count (66 joints) \<=1, Psoriasis activity and severity index (PASI) \<=1, Patient's Assessment of Pain \<=15 on a 100-unit visual analog scale (VAS), Patient's Global Assessment of Disease Activity (arthritis and psoriasis) \<=20 on a 100-unit VAS, Disability Index of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ-DI) score \<=0.5, and Tender entheseal points \<= 1 (Leeds Enthesitis Index \[LEI\] score \<= 1).

ACR 50 response was defined as greater than or equal to (\>=) 50% improvement from baseline in both swollen joint (66 joints) and tender joint counts (68 joints) and \>=50% improvement from baseline in \>=3 of 5 assessments: Physician global assessment of disease activity (0 to 100 millimeters \[mm\] VAS \[0=no arthritis activity and 100=extremely active arthritis\]), Patient global assessment of disease activity (arthritis) (100 mm VAS \[0 = no limitation of normal activities; 100 = very poor\]), Patient's global assessment of pain (100 mm VAS \[0 = no pain; 100 = most severe pain\]), patient's assessment of physical function measured by HAQ-DI (20-question instrument assessing 8 functional areas; range: 0-3, 0= no difficulty, 3= inability to perform task in that area), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).

MDA was a measure that defines a satisfactory state of disease activity that includes 5 domains of PsA (joint symptoms, skin psoriasis, patient's perspective of pain and disease activity on arthritis and psoriasis, physical function and enthesitis). Participants were classified as achieving MDA if they fulfilled 5 of the following 7 criteria at that visit: Tender joint count (68 joints) \<=1, Swollen joint count (66 joints) \<=1, PASI \<=1, Patient's Assessment of Pain \<=15 on a 100-unit VAS, Patient's Global Assessment of Disease Activity (arthritis and psoriasis) \<=20 on a 100-unit VAS, HAQ-DI score \<=0.5, and Tender entheseal points \<= 1 (LEI score \<= 1).

PASI 90 response was defined as at least a 90% reduction in PASI relative to baseline. PASI was a system used for assessing and grading the severity of psoriatic lesions and their response to therapy. In the PASI system, the body was divided into 4 regions: head and neck, trunk (including axillae and groin), upper extremities, and lower extremities (included buttocks). Each of these areas was assessed separately for the percentage of the area involved, which translates to a numeric score that ranges from 0 (indicates no involvement) to 6 (90 to 100% involvement), and erythema, induration and scaling, each rated on a scale of 0 to 4, that was none to maximum severity. PASI produces a numeric score range from 0 (no psoriasis) to 72 (worst condition). Higher scores indicated more severe disease.

PASI 100 response was defined as 100% reduction in PASI relative to baseline. PASI was a system used for assessing and grading the severity of psoriatic lesions and their response to therapy. In the PASI system, the body was divided into 4 regions: head and neck, trunk (including axillae and groin), upper extremities, and lower extremities (included buttocks). Each of these areas was assessed separately for the percentage of the area involved, which translates to a numeric score that ranges from 0 (indicates no involvement) to 6 (90 to 100% involvement), and erythema, induration and scaling, each rated on a scale of 0 to 4, that was none to maximum severity. PASI produces a numeric score range from 0 (no psoriasis) to 72 (worst condition). Higher scores indicated more severe disease.

IGA psoriasis response was defined as an IGA psoriasis score of 0 (cleared) or 1 (minimal) and \>=2 grade reduction from baseline in the IGA psoriasis score. The IGA documents the investigator's assessment of the participant's psoriasis at a given time point. Overall lesions were graded for induration, erythema, and scaling each using a 5 point scale: clear (0), minimal (1), mild (2), moderate (3), and severe (4). The IGA score of psoriasis was based upon the average of induration, erythema, and scaling scores. The participant's psoriasis was assessed as cleared (0), minimal (1), mild (2), moderate (3), or severe (4).

Change from baseline in HAQ-DI score was a measure of the change in the physical function. It consists of a 20-questions instrument that assesses the degree of difficulty a person had in accomplishing tasks in 8 functional areas (dressing, arising, eating, walking, hygiene, reaching, gripping, and activities of daily living). Responses in each functional area were scored from 0 = no difficulty to 3= inability to perform a task. Scores on each task were summed and averaged to provide an overall HAQ-DI total score ranging from 0 (least difficulty) to 3 (extreme difficulty). Lower scores indicated better functioning. Negative change from baseline indicated improvement of physical function.

Enthesitis assessed using the Leeds Enthesitis Index (LEI), a tool developed to assess enthesitis in participants with PsA and evaluates the presence (score of 1) or absence (score of 0) of tenderness by applying local pressure to the following enthesis sites: left and right lateral epicondyle humerus, left and right medial femoral condyle, and left and right achilles tendon insertion. Each site was scored as 1 if tenderness was present or 0 if tenderness was absent. The enthesitis index score was a total score of the 6 evaluated sites from 0 (0 sites with tenderness) to 6 (worst possible score; 6 sites with tenderness). Higher score indicated more sites with tenderness. A LEI score of 0 at a post baseline visit indicates resolution of enthesitis when baseline LEI \>0.

Dactylitis was characterized by swelling in both hands and feet. The severity of dactylitis was scored on a scale from 0 to 3 (0-no dactylitis, 1-mild dactylitis, 2-moderate dactylitis, and 3-severe dactylitis) for each digit. The results for each digit summed to produce final dactylitis score which was from 0 to 60. Higher score indicates more severe dactylitis. Dactylitis count was derived based on dactylitis score, each score was recorded to 0 or 1 from 0 to 3, where any score \>0 was recorded as 1. For resolution of dactylitis, it was defined as participants who had a dactylitis score greater than 0 at baseline and a score of 0 at the analysis visit.

SF-36 was a multi-domain instrument with 36 items to evaluate health status and quality of life. It included 8 subscales (physical functioning, physical role functioning, bodily pain, general health perception, vitality, social functioning, emotional role functioning, and mental health). The scores for the 8 domains were combined into two summary scores: the physical component summary (PCS) score and the mental component summary (MCS) score. Domains 1 to 4 primarily contribute to the PCS score of the SF-36. Domains 5-8 primarily contributes to the MCS score of the SF-36. Each of the 8 domain scores and the component summary score ranged from 0=worst to 100=best. Higher scores represent better health status. A positive change indicates improvement while a negative change indicates worsening of health status and quality of life.

An adverse event (AE) was any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant administered a pharmaceutical (investigational or non-investigational) product. An AE does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the intervention. TEAEs were any AE occurred at or after the initial administration of study intervention through the day of last dose plus 16 weeks.

SAE was defined as any untoward medical occurrence that resulted in death, was life-threatening, required inpatient hospitalization or prolongation of existing hospitalization, resulted in persistent or significant disability/incapacity, led to a congenital anomaly/birth defect in the offspring of a participant, or was an important medical event. TESAEs were any SAE occurred at or after the initial administration of study intervention through the day of last dose plus 16 weeks.

Percentage of participants with reasonably related AEs was reported. An AE was any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant administered a pharmaceutical (investigational or non-investigational) product. AE reasonably related to guselkumab or golimumab were defined as AEs classified by the investigator as related to study agent.

Percentage of participants with AEs leading to discontinuation of study intervention was reported. AE was any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant administered a pharmaceutical (investigational or non-investigational) product. An AE does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the intervention.

Percentage of participants with infections was reported. Investigators evaluate participants for any signs or symptoms of infection. An AE was any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant administered a pharmaceutical (investigational or non-investigational) product.

Percentage of participants with injection-site reaction was reported. A study intervention injection-site reaction was any adverse reaction at a subcutaneous study intervention injection-site. The injection sites were evaluated for reactions, and any injection-site reaction was recorded as an AE. Injection site reactions were significant bruising, erythema, hemorrhage, irritation, pain, and pruritus.

Serum concentration of golimumab was reported.

Serum concentration of guselkumab was reported.

Percentage of participants with anti-guselkumab antibodies was reported.

Percentage of participants with anti-golimumab antibodies were reported.