Orencia abatacept: Additional Phase IIIb data

The 1-year open-label extension period of the Phase IIIb AGREE trial in 459 patients showed that Orencia plus methotrexate resulted in 55.2% patients with a DAS28-CRP <2.6 at 24 months. ACR50 and ACR70 scores for the combination therapy were 74.1% and 53.9% respectively. The incidence of serious adverse events was similar between the double-blind and open-label periods (8.4% vs. 6.4%). The extension included 256 patients who had taken Orencia plus methotrexate and 253 patients who had taken methotrexate alone during the 1-year double-blind portion of the study. Data were presented at the American College of Rheumatology meeting in Philadelphia. ...