Rituximab, a Safer Option for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Comparison of the Reported Adverse Events of Approved Monoclonal Antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which are commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), have been linked to a variety of adverse events (AEs). The objective of the study was to compare the safety profiles of six FDA approved mAbs (sarilumab, tocilizumab, adalimumab, golimumab, infliximab, and rituximab) marketed for the treatment of RA. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using the databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Science Direct. The manuscript comprised a total of 23 clinical studies. The percentage of patients who had AEs was calculated and presented using box-whisker and forest plots. Infections and infestations were found to be the most common AEs in RA patients treated with mAbs. Raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), and nasopharyngitis were frequently reported. The most common AEs were reported with adalimumab. The highest percentage of patients reporting AEs was associated with golimumab (52%), while rituximab had the fewest AEs (4.9%). In conclusion, rituximab appears to be a safer treatment option for RA as it is found to be associated with a lower risk of AEs, particularly respiratory infections.

Four-years retention rate of golimumab administered after discontinuation of non-TNF inhibitors in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Abstract Background In patients with rheumatic diseases, the use of biological (b) or targeted synthetic (ts) disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) after discontinuation of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) is known to be effective. However, data on the use of TNFi after discontinuation of non-TNFi bDMARDs or tsDMARDs (non-TNFi) are scarce. This study assessed the 4-years golimumab retention in patients with rheumatic diseases when used after discontinuation of non-TNFi. Methods Adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA; n = 72), psoriatic arthritis (PsA; n = 30) or axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA; n = 23) who initiated golimumab after discontinuation of non-TNFi from the Spanish registry of biological drugs (BIOBADASER) were analyzed retrospectively. The retention rate (drug survival or persistence) of golimumab up to 4 years was evaluated. Results The golimumab retention rate was 60.7% (51.4-68.8) at year 1, 45.9% (36.0-55.2) at year 2, 39.9% (29.8-49.7) at year 3 and 33.4% (23.0-44.2) at year 4. Retention rates did not differ significantly whether golimumab was used as second, third, or fourth/subsequent line of therapy (p log-rank = 0.462). Golimumab retention rates were higher in axSpA or PsA patients than in RA patients (p log-rank = 0.002). When golimumab was administered as third or fourth/subsequent line, the 4-years retention rate after discontinuation of non-TNFi was similar to that after discontinuation of TNFi. Conclusion In patients who discontinued non-TNFi, most of whom received golimumab as third/subsequent line of therapy, one-third of patients remained on golimumab at year 4. Retention rates were higher in patients with axSpA and PsA than in those with RA.

Sobrevida, eficacia y seguridad de Golimumab en pacientes con Artritis Reumatoidea y Espondiloartritis: Datos de una cohorte argentina / Survival, efficacy and safety of Golimumab in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis: Data from an Argentine cohort

Objetivos: Golimumab ha sido aprobado para el tratamiento de pacientes con artritis reumatoidea (AR), artritis psoriásica (APs) y espondiloartritis axial. Sin embargo, los datos provenientes de nuestra región son escasos. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la eficacia, seguridad y sobrevida acumulada de golimumab en pacientes de la vida real con AR, APs y espondilitis anquilosante (EA) de diferentes centros de Argentina. Material y métodos: Se llevó a cabo un estudio longitudinal, en el que se incluyeron pacientes consecutivos mayores de 18 años con diagnóstico de AR (criterios ACR/EULAR 2010), APs (criterios CASPAR) y Espax (criterios ASAS 2009), que hayan iniciado tratamiento con golimumab de acuerdo a la indicación médica. Se obtuvieron los datos por revisión de historias clínicas. Se consignaron características sociodemográficas, clínicas, comorbilidades y tratamientos previos. Con respecto al golimumab, se registraron fecha de inicio, vía de administración y tratamientos concomitantes. Se determinó la actividad de la enfermedad mediante DAS28 en el caso de la AR, por DAPSA y MDA para APs y por BASDAI en el caso de Espax. Se consignó la presencia de eventos adversos (EA). En el caso de suspensión del tratamiento, se identificaron la fecha y motivo del mismo. Los pacientes fueron seguidos hasta la suspensión del golimumab, pérdida de seguimiento, muerte, o finalización del estudio (30 de noviembre de 2020). Resultados: Se incluyeron 182 pacientes, 116 con diagnóstico de AR, 30 con APs y 36 con Espax. La mayoría de ellos (70.9%) eran mujeres con una edad mediana (m) de 55 años (RIC 43.8-64) y una duración de la enfermedad m de 7 años (RIC 4-12.7) al inicio del tratamiento. El 34.6% de los mismos habían recibido al menos una droga modificadora de la enfermedad (DME) biológica (-b) o sintética dirigida (-sd) previamente. El seguimiento total fue de 318.1 pacientes/año. El tratamiento con golimumab mostró mejoría clínica en los tres grupos de pacientes. La incidencia de eventos adversos fue de 6.6 por 100 pacientes/año, siendo las infecciones las más frecuentes. Durante el seguimiento, 50 pacientes (27.5%) suspendieron golimumab, la causa más frecuente fue el fracaso del tratamiento (68%), seguida de la falta de cobertura (16%) y el desarrollo de eventos adversos (10%). La persistencia de golimumab fue del 76% y 68% a los 12 y 24 meses, respectivamente. Se registró una sobrevida de 50.2 meses (IC 95% 44.4-55.9). Los pacientes que habían recibido tratamiento previo con DME-b y/o -sd mostraron una menor sobrevida (HR 2.4, IC 95% 1.3-4.4). Conclusiones: El tratamiento con golimumab en pacientes de la vida real en Argentina ha demostrado una buena eficacia y seguridad. La sobrevida del fármaco fue de más de 4 años y casi el 80% seguía usando golimumab después de un año. El tratamiento previo con otros DME-b o -sd se asoció con una menor sobrevida al tratamiento.

Objectives: Golimumab is approved for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis. However, data from our region are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and cumulative survival of golimumab in real-life patients with RA, PsA and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpa) from different rheumatology centers in Argentina. Material and methods: We performed a longitudinal study of consecutive adults with RA (ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria), PsA (CASPAR criteria) and axSpa (ASAS 2009 criteria), who have started treatment with golimumab according to medical indication. Data was obtained by review of medical records. Sociodemographic and clinical data, musculoskeletal manifestations, comorbidities and previous treatments were recorded. In reference to golimumab treatment, start date, route of administration and concomitant treatments were identified. Disease activity was assessed using DAS28 for RA patients, DAPSA and MDA for PsA and BASDAI for axSpa. The presence of adverse events was recorded. If golimumab was stopped, date and cause was documented. Patients were followed up until golimumab discontinuation, loss of follow-up, death, or study completion (November 30, 2020). Results: In total 182 patients were included, 116 with a diagnosis of RA, 30 with PsA and 36 with axSpa. Most of them (70.9%) were female with a median (m) age of 55 years (IQR 43.8-64) and m disease duration of 7 years (IQR 4-12.7) at treatment initiation. Al least one prior biological (-b) and/or targeted synthetic (-ts) disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) was received by 63 patients (34.6%). Total follow-up was 318.1 patients/year. Golimumab treatment showed clinical improvement in all three groups of patients. The incidence of AE was 6.6 per 100 patients/year, being infections the most frequents ones. During follow-up, 50 patients (27.5%) discontinued golimumab, the most frequent cause was treatment failure (68%), followed by lack of health insurance (16%) and adverse events (10%). Golimumab persistence was 76% and 68% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Treatment survival was 50.2 months (95% CI 44.4-55.9). Patients who had received prior treatment with b- or ts-DMARDs showed lower survival (HR 2.41, 95% CI 1.3-4.4). Conclusions: Golimumab treatment in real life patients in Argentina has shown good efficacy and safety. Drug survival was over 4 years and almost 80% were still using golimumab after one year. Prior treatment with other b- or ts-DMARDs was associated with lower treatment survival.

Incidencia de tuberculosis en pacientes que reciben fármacos anti-TNF( / Incidence of tuberculosis in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor-( blockers / Incidência de tuberculose em pacientes que recebem fármacos anti-TNF(

Resumen: Introducción: la tuberculosis (TB) es una complicación frecuente del uso de fármacos anti-TNF(. Ocurre por reactivación de una infección latente o por progresión de una infección reciente. Objetivos: conocer la incidencia de TB en la población que recibió fármacos anti- TNF(, analizar las formas de presentación y la realización de pesquisa de infección latente previo al inicio del tratamiento. Método: estudio de cohorte retrospectiva. Se incluyeron los pacientes que recibieron fármacos anti- TNF( entre 2010 y 2016. Los datos se obtuvieron de los sistemas informáticos del Fondo Nacional de Recursos y del Programa Nacional de Tuberculosis. Se calculó la incidencia de TB y se describieron los casos que desarrollaron TB. Resultados: se incluyeron 991 tratamientos para un total de 980 pacientes. Se reportaron nueve casos de TB. La incidencia global fue de 419,9 (IC 95% 191,9-591,2) por 100.000 personas/año. Solo hubo casos de TB en pacientes tratados con adalimumab. El cribado de infección tuberculosa latente (ITBL) previo al inicio del fármaco fue heterogéneo y predominaron las formas de TB diseminadas (6/9) sobre la afectación pulmonar aislada (3/9). En todos los casos se suspendió el anti- TNF( al diagnóstico de TB y en ningún caso se retomó. Conclusiones: la incidencia de TB en la población de pacientes bajo tratamiento con anti- TNF( fue 16,5 veces mayor que en la población general. Predominaron las formas de TB diseminadas y se dieron casos en sujetos que habían recibido tratamiento de ITBL previo al inicio del fármaco, sugiriendo que el riesgo persiste mientras exista exposición a éste.

Summary: Introduction: tuberculosis (TB) is a frequent complication in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-() blockers. It occurs upon the reactivation of a latent infection or the progression of a recent infection. Objective: to learn about the incidence of TB in a population receiving tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-() blockers, to analyze the presentation of this condition and to conduct a latent infection research prior to the initiation of therapy. Method: retrospective cohort study. Patients receiving tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-() blockers between 2010 and 2016 were included in the study. Data were obtained from the IT systems of the National Resources Fund and the National Tuberculosis Program. The incidence of TB was calculated and the cases developing TB were described. Results: 991 treatments were included for 980 patients in total. 9 cases of TB were reported. Global incidence was 419.9 (IC 95% 191.9-591.2) out of 100,000 people per year. Cases of TB were only seen in patients treated with adalimumab. Screening for LTBI upon initiation of the drug was heterogeneous and the disseminated forms of TB prevailed (6/9) over isolated pulmonary affectation (3/9). In all cases anti- TNF( was suspended when TB was diagnosed, and it was not reinitiated. Conclusions: the incidence of TB in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-() blockers was 16.5 times greater than in the general population. Disseminated forms of TB prevailed, and some cases occurred in individuals who had received LTBI therapy prior to the initiation of the drug, suggesting the risk persists as long as there is exposure to the drug.

Resumo: Introdução: a tuberculose (TB) é uma complicação frequente do uso de fármacos anti- TNF(. É causada pela reativação de uma infecção latente ou pela evolução de uma infecção recente. Objetivos: conhecer a incidência de TB na população que recebeu fármacos anti- TNF(, analisar as formas de apresentação e a realização de pesquisa de infecção latente prévia ao início do tratamento. Método: estudo de coorte retrospectivo. Foram incluídos todos os pacientes que receberam fármacos anti- TNF( no período 2010-2016. Os dados foram obtidos dos registros informatizados do Fondo Nacional de Recursos e do Programa Nacional de Tuberculosis. A incidência de TB foi calculada e foram descritos os casos que desenvolveram esta patologia. Resultados: foram incluídos 991 tratamentos para um total de 980 pacientes. Nove casos de TB foram registrados. A incidência global foi de 419,9 (IC 95% 191,9-591,2) por 100.000 pessoas/ano. Somente foram registrados casos de TB em pacientes tratados com adalimumab. A triagem de infecção tuberculosa latente (ITBL) prévia ao início do fármaco foi heterogênea e predominaram as formas de TB disseminadas (6/9) sobre a pulmonar isolada (3/9). Em todos os casos o uso de anti- TNF( foi suspenso definitivamente quando o diagnóstico de TB foi realizado. Conclusões: a incidência de TB na população de pacientes em tratamento com anti- TNF( foi 16,5 vezes maior que na população em geral. Predominaram as formas disseminadas de TB e foram registrados casos em pacientes que haviam recebido tratamento para ITBL prévio ao início do fármaco, sugerindo que o risco persiste enquanto houver exposição a este.

Clinical analysis of golimumab in the treatment of severe/refractory cardiovascular involvement in Behcet syndrome / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effectiveness and safety of golimumab in the treatment of severe/refractory cardiovascular Behcet syndrome (BS).@*METHODS@#We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of nine patients diagnosed with severe/refractory cardiovascular BS and treated with golimumab from February 2018 to July 2020 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. We analyzed levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), imaging findings, and the doses of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents during the period of combined treatment with golimumab.@*RESULTS@#Nine patients were enrolled, including 8 males and 1 female, with a mean age and median course of (37.0±8.6) years and 120 (60, 132) months, respectively. Seven patients presented with severe aortic regurgitation combined with other cardiovascular involvement secondary to BS. Two patients presented with large vessel involvement, including multiple aneurysms and vein thrombosis. Prior to golimumab treatment, seven patients were treated with glucocorticoids and multiple immunosuppres-sants [with a median number of 3 (1, 3) types] while still experienced disease progression or elevated inflammation biomarkers during postoperative period. Eight patients with disease progression, uncontrolled inflammation and history of severe postoperative complications required effective and fast control of inflammation during perioperative period. One patient had adverse reaction with tocilizumab and switched to golimumab during perioperative period. The patients were treated with golimumab 50 mg every 4 weeks, along with concomitant treatment of glucocorticoid and immunosuppressants. After a median follow-up of (16.3±5.6) months, all the patients achieved clinical improvement. Vascular lesions were radiologically stable and no vascular progressive or newly-onset of vascular lesions was observed. The eight patients who experienced cardiac or vascular operations showed no evidence of postoperative complications. The ESR and hsCRP levels decreased significantly [16.5 (6.8, 52.5) mm/h vs. 4 (2, 7) mm/h, and 21.24 (0.93, 32.51) mg/L vs. 0.58 (0.37, 1.79) mg/L (P < 0.05), respectively]. The dose of prednisone was tapered from 35 (15, 60) mg/d to 10.0 (10.0, 12.5) mg/d. No prominent adverse reactions were observed.@*CONCLUSION@#Our study suggests that golimumab is effective in the treatment of severe/refractory cardiovascular BS. Combination immunosuppression therapy with golimumab contributes to control of inflammation, reduction of postoperative complications and tapering the dose of glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants.

Rapid responses to golimumab in refractory adult-onset Stills disease: A case report and review of the literature

ABSTRACT Introduction: Adult onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. AOSD is generally a mild and self-limiting disease, but it could progress to become chronic. The anemia of chronic diseases may occur in patients with acute or chronic immune activation, and is associated with the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Case report: A 61-year-old woman with several pharyngitis episodes, spiking fever, evanescent salmon-pink skin rash, normocytic normochromic anemia, leucocytosis, thrombocytopenia, polyarthritis, liver dysfunction, marked elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein and, notably high ferritin levels. AOSD was diagnosed after secondary diseases were ruled out. Despite eight month on treatment with high-dose corticosteroids and methotrexate the clinical course the patient worsened, with significant synovitis, joint deformities leading to a worse quality of life and requiring help with activities of daily living. A rapid response to the anti-TNFα golimumab (50 mg/month) was observed from the third month of treatment. Conclusion: Golimumab improved anemia, serum C-reactive protein levels, polyarthritis and quality of life in a refractory AOSD.

A case of idiopathic necrotizing scleritis with secondary glaucoma treated successfully with golimumab and Ahmed valve implantation

A 52-year-old woman presented with idiopathic active scleritis not responding to oral cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, and oral steroid. Her intraocular pressure in the left eye was 45 mm of Hg in spite of using combination of brinzolamide 1% and brimonidine 0.2% (thrice a day), timolol maleate 0.5% (twice a day) eye drops in both eyes and oral acetazolamide. She was administered subcutaneous golimumab 50 mg injection every 4 weeks along with oral methotrexate 15 mg/week. The scleral inflammation responded and she underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation after two months of initiation of golimumab therapy. After one week of surgery her IOP in left eye was the reduced to 8 mm of Hg. The index case showed that Golimumab can be a useful drug in the management of necrotizing scleritis refractory to the conventional therapy.

A case of human leukocyte antigen B-27-associated ocular hypotony successfully treated with golimumab

A 42-year-old male presented to us after an episode of acute anterior human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27-associated uveitis, and intraocular pressure (IOP) in the right eye was 4 mmHg. Ultrasound biomicroscopy revealed ciliary body edema with supraciliary effusion. He was on a frequent topical corticosteroid, and oral steroid in addition to receiving a periocular injection depot corticosteroid 20 days back. He was started on treatment with subcutaneous golimumab (GLM). After a month, his IOP in the right eye was 14 mm of Hg with UBM showing resolution of ciliary body edema. GLM can be useful in the management of steroid-resistant cases of HLA B-27-associated ocular hypotony.

Baseline extent of damage predicts spinal radiographic progression in Korean patients with ankylosing spondylitis treated with golimumab

BACKGROUND/AIMS: For patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), golimumab has consistent efficacy in controlling disease activity over 5 years but its benefit in preventing radiographic progression was less clear at 4 years. To predict radiographic progression, we analyzed the baseline characteristics of AS patients in a Korean population. METHODS: Sixty-eight Korean patients with AS participated in the phase 3, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial (GO-RAISE) which has previously been described. Baseline modified stoke AS spine score (mSASSS) and change in mSASSS from baseline (ΔmSASSS) until week 208 were analyzed in the Korean patients enrolled in the GO-RAISE study. RESULTS: Although Korean patients had lower baseline mSASSS compared to non-Korean patients and received active management, radiographic progression was not prevented. Korean patients who did not undergo radiographic progression of spinal lesions of AS were younger and had shorter symptomatic duration, lower Bath AS functional and metrology indices, better chest expansion, and lower baseline mSASSS. The baseline mSASSS and ΔmSASSS were positively correlated in Korean AS patients (p 10 and less common (13.0%) with baseline mSASSS = 0. CONCLUSIONS: In Korean AS patients, radiographic progression of the spine after 4 years was predicted effectively by the initial severity of the spinal lesion(s) in patients treated with golimumab.

The safety and efficacy of golimumab in treatment of 25 patients with active ankylosingspondylitis / 中华内科杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of golimumab in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Methods This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The subjects were randomized to receive either golimumab 50mg subcutaneously or placebo every 4 weeks. Patients in both groups received golimumab 50mg from week 24 to week 48. The primary endpoint was the proportion of at least 20% improvement in the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS20) at week 14. The secondary endpoints included at least 40% improvement in the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS40), ASAS partial-remission, Bath AS functional index, Bath AS disease activity index, Bath AS metrology index, enthesitis index and Jenkins sleep evaluation questionnaire. Results A total of 25 subjects were included in this study, 13 with golimumab and 12 with placebo. At Week 14, 6(46.2%) subjects achieved ASAS20 in golimumab group and 2(16.7%) in placebo group. Significant improvements of other efficacy endpoints were also found in golimumab group. Golimumab was safe and well to lerated. Most of the adverse events were slightly impaired liver function, where as elevated aspartate aminotransferase and/or alanine aminotransferase returned to normal without drug with drawal.Conclusion Golimumab improves AS activity, clinical symptoms and sleep disturbance in patients with active AS with good safety and tolerability.

Golimumab Therapy in Ulcerative Colitis / 대한소화기학회지

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the colon, characterized by diffuse mucosal inflammation and blood-mixed diarrhea. The main treatment has been 5-aminosalicylic acid, steroid, thiopurine, and anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) antibodies including infliximab, adalimumab, and golimumab. Golimumab, a new anti-TNF-alpha agent has been recently approved for patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. Its efficacy and safety has been demonstrated in line with infliximab and adalimumab in preclinical and clinical studies. This review will focus on golimumab therapy in ulcerative colitis.

Erythrodermic Psoriasis Treated with Golimumab: A Case Report

Erythrodermic psoriasis (EP) is a very severe variant of psoriasis whose management poses a challenge to physicians, as currently available therapies often provide unsatisfactory results. Many biologics have been used to treat chronic plaque psoriasis, the most common form of psoriasis; however, their effectiveness for EP is poorly understood. A recently developed biologic, golimumab, has been extensively studied for the treatment of moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, active ankylosing spondylitis, and chronic plaque psoriasis. However, no clinical trials have been performed for EP. Here, we report the case of a 32-year-old man who presented with severe psoriasis that previously failed to respond satisfactorily to methotrexate, cyclosporine, retinoid, narrow-band ultraviolet B phototherapy, and topical agents (i.e., steroids and calcipotriol). Skin lesions worsened progressively and developed into erythroderma. Psoriatic arthritis was also detected. Conventional therapies lacked efficacy. Therefore, we administered golimumab 50 mg. The skin lesions improved significantly according to the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score after the first administration; lesions improved further throughout the treatment course. Although additional studies are required to fully evaluate the efficacy and safety of golimumab, this agent may be an alternative treatment strategy for some patients with recalcitrant EP.

Golimumab and certolizumab: The two new anti-tumor necrosis factor kids on the block.

Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents have revolutionized treatment of psoriasis and many other inflammatory diseases of autoimmune origin. They have considerable advantages over the existing immunomodulators. Anti-TNF agents are designed to target a very specific component of the immune-mediated inflammatory cascades. Thus, they have lower risks of systemic side-effects. In a brief period of 10 years, a growing number of biological therapies are entering the clinical arena while many more biologicals remain on the horizon. With time, the long-term side-effects and efficacies of these individual agents will become clearer and help to determine which ones are the most suitable for long-term care. Golimumab (a human monoclonal anti-TNF-α antibody) and Certolizumab (a PEGylated Fab fragment of humanized monoclonal TNF-α antibody) are the two latest additions to the anti-TNF regimen. Here, we are providing a brief description about these two drugs and their uses.

Description of the Efficacy and Safety of Three New Biologics in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

English articles on abatacept, golimumab, and tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis published between 2002 and 2009 were reviewed systematically. All randomized clinical trials, open-label extensions, meta-analyses, and reviews were examined. There were thirteen articles on abatacept, four on golimumab, and seven on tocilizumab. All three drugs were effective in methotrexate-naive, methotrexate-incomplete responders, and tumor-necrosis-factor-failure rheumatoid arthritis patients. Of the three, only abatacept has been tested in a head-to-head trial with infliximab, in which it was found to be equivalent to infliximab. Golimumab resulted in a more modest improvement than the others in methotrexate-naive patients, although no direct comparisons among the three drugs were possible or appropriate. Descriptive analysis of adverse events showed that patients receiving abatacept, golimumab, and tocilizumab were subject to more adverse events than controls overall, as expected. In the abatacept studies, a few cases of tuberculosis, more cardiovascular events and gastrointestinal bleedings and more basal cell carcinoma were seen. Golimumab was associated with more skin rashes and pneumonia, while tocilizumab was associated with increased lipids, more liver-function abnormalities, and neutropenia. These new medications are useful additions to the rheumatologic armamentarium and represent greater convenience (golimumab) or different mechanisms of action (abatacept and tocilizumab) than tumor-necrosis-factor inhibitors for treating rheumatoid arthritis. As expected, some adverse events occur when using these drugs and patients need to be watched carefully.