Study Tests Effectiveness of Anabolic Agent for Joint Erosion in RA Patients

One year treatment with teriparatide did not reduce joint erosion volume in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a recent study.

The randomized controlled trial included 24 patients with erosive RA, osteopenia, and disease activity treated with a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) for at least 3 months. Half of the patients were randomly assigned to receive teriparatide and the other half were assigned to a wait-list control arm for 1 year. Changes in erosion volume, which was measured by computed tomography at 6 anatomic sites, was assessed as the primary outcome.
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After 52 weeks of treatment, the median erosion volume change in participants in the teriparatide group did not differ significantly from the median erosion volume change in participants in the control group.

In addition, there were no significant changes in erosion volume at the radius, ulna, or metacarpophalangeal joints. Patients in the teriparatide group, however, showed improvements in bone mineral density at the femoral neck and lumbar spine.

“Teriparatide treatment for one year did not significantly reduce erosion volume in the hands or wrists of patients with established RA, controlled on TNFi treatment,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Solomon DH, Kay J, Duryea J, et al. Effects of teriparatide on joint erosion in rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled trial [published online May 23, 2017]. Arthritis Rheum. doi:10.1002/art.40156.