Study: Remicade Yields Mixed Results for Difficult-to-Treat Psoriatic Arthritis

Patients with difficult-to-treat psoriatic arthritis and inflamed joints experienced mixed results when taking Remicaide (infliximab), according to a study reported in the February issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.

A team of Canadian researchers evaluated the effectiveness and toxicity of Remicade in such patients who had failed to respond to at least two disease-modifying agents.

The study involved 16 patients whose average age was 48. The patients were given five milligrams a day of Remicade periodically over a six-week period and then every six to eight weeks afterwards depending on their response to the drug.

Six patients discontinued their Remicade treatment due to ineffectiveness or toxicity.

The researchers found that Remicade led to a marked improvement in psoriasis, but a modest response in joint disease. In addition, they noted that the toxicity and rate of treatment termination was high.

Other sources: Annals of Ann Rheum Dis. 2004 Feb;63(2):156-61