Study: Rheumatoid Arthritis Sufferers Get Long-Term Benefit from Arava

Rheumatoid arthritis patients are finding that the drug Arava® appears to provide long-lasting benefits in terms of helping their ability to function.

Arava (leflunomide) is a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug that reduces inflammation and slows the progression of rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany found that participants improved their functional ability with Arava after one year, and maintained that improvement for up to five years. Their study is reported in the June issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

The study involved 214 patients whose average age was 57 years and who received Arava to treat their rheumatoid arthritis for an average of 4.6 years. Thirty-two percent of the patients had received no previous treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

The scores recorded on standard tests measuring rheumatoid arthritis function during the first year of treatment were maintained for up to five years. No new types of adverse events were observed, and liver function was normal at the beginning and end of the study for the majority of patients, according to the researchers.

Other sources: Arthritis & Rheumatism 2003 Jun;48(6):1513-20