Ultrasound to Guide Treatment Decisions in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis According to a T2T Approach

Summary

Population

Patients with a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), moderate or high clinical disease activity (CDAI\>10) despite conventional synthetic (cs)DMARD(s) or bs-ts-DMARDs therapy for ≥3 months, and a maximum of 2 swollen joints (out of 44 joints)

Study design

Randomised multicentre, parallel-arm clinical study

Primary objective

Non-inferiority of the experimental arm (i.e. clinical therapy together with ultrasound guided treatment decision) in comparison to the control arm (clinically guided decision) concerning the proportion of patients reaching low disease activity (CDAI ≤10) and a minimal clinical important improvement (MCII: improvement of ≥6 points if starting from moderate disease activity, any case starting from high disease activity and achieving low disease activity) or remission according to ACR/EULAR index-based remission criteria (CDAI ≤2.8/Boolean remission) at week 24.

Intervention

This is a randomised multicentre, national, parallel-arm clinical study. Patients with a diagnosis of RA, moderate or high clinical disease activity (CDAI\>10) despite conventional synthetic (cs)DMARD(s) or b-tsDMARDs therapy for ≥3 months, and a maximum of 2 swollen joints (out of 44 joints) will be included and randomized to one of the following two strategic arms:

1. Clinical decision strategy: All patients receive a new course of b-ts-DMARDs, with or without concomitant cDMARD. If a CDAI ≤10 is not achieved after 12 weeks, patients are switched to a bDMARD or tsDMARD. The decision on which b/tsDMARD to use at week 12 is at the discretion of the investigator.
2. Clinical plus ultrasound-based decision strategy. All patients in this group will be evaluated by ultrasound at 44 joints. In case of clinically-verified plus ultrasound verified inflammation, patients will receive a new b-ts-DMARD while continuing or not background csDMARD(s) therapy. If a CDAI ≤10 is not achieved after 12 weeks, patients are again evaluated by ultrasound at 44 joints. In case clinically-verified plus ultrasound-verified inflammation is present, patients are switched to a bDMARD or tsDMARD. The decision on which b/tsDMARD to use is at the discretion of the investigator. In case clinically-verified plus ultrasound-verified inflammation is absent, patients receive step-up pain therapy while background treatment will be continued.

Sample size

158 patients

Time plan

* Total duration of the study: 72 months
* Active phase for each patient: 48 weeks (24 weeks for the interventional treatment strategy and 24 weeks for follow-up visit)
* Recruitment: 60 months

Conditions

• Arthritis, Rheumatoid
• Ultrasound
• Treat to Target

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Ultrasound

At baseline and at weeks 12, 24 and 48, patients will undergo an ultrasound examination of 44 joints by one investigator, who is blinded to the strategic arm and all clinical data. The following joints will be assessed: bilateral wrists (distal radio-ulnar joint, radio-carpal, mid-carpal recesses), 1st - 5th MCP, 1st - 5th PIP, elbows, glenohumeral, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, knees, ankles and 1st - 5th MTP. At wrists, MCP and PIP joints, palmar and dorsal sites including synovial recess, extensor and flexor tendons will be investigated whereas at feet the dorsal site (plus the lateral aspects of MTP5) including synovial recess and extensor tendons will be evaluated. Further, we will assess the following: at elbows the dorsal and anterior recess, at shoulders the dorsal recess, at knees the suprapatellar as well as the medial and lateral femoro-tibial recess and at ankles the anterior, lateral and medial recess of the tibiotalar joint.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Italian Society for Rheumatology

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

84 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-02-22

Primary Completion

2028-08-31

Completion

2029-02-28

Countries

• Italy

Study Locations