Scientists have discovered a jab that can prevent rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with development experts saying it could offer hope to millions of people at risk of the disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the body and causes pain in the joints. The disease affects about 18 million people worldwide and can cause heart, lung and nervous system problems, according to the World Health Organization.
It most commonly begins in middle age, but younger people can also be affected. There are no treatments that can prevent the disease.
Now researchers have found that an existing rheumatoid arthritis drug that patients can inject into their stomach or thigh may be able to slow progression or stop it altogether in patients with early symptoms. did.
In clinical trials, abatacept was found to be “effective in preventing the onset” of rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers said the results, published in The Lancet, were “promising” and could be “good news for people at risk of arthritis”.
Abatacept is already prescribed to people with rheumatoid arthritis, but a team led by King's College London investigated whether it could prevent rheumatoid arthritis in people considered at risk.
The drug, given through an IV in the hospital or as a weekly injection at home, works by targeting the cause of inflammation.
213 patients were recruited from 28 hospital-based primary arthritis clinics in the UK and the Netherlands. The researchers assessed all as being at early risk for RA.
Of the total, 110 received abatacept and the rest were assigned to the placebo group. The estimated proportion of patients remaining arthritis-free at 12 months was 92.8% in the abatacept group and 69.2% in the placebo group.
After two years, 27 people (25%) in the abatacept group had progressed to rheumatoid arthritis, compared with 38 (37%) in the placebo group.
Professor Andrew Cope, from King's College London, said: “This is the largest rheumatoid arthritis prevention trial to date, and shows that treatments approved to treat established rheumatoid arthritis can help prevent people with rheumatoid arthritis from developing. “This is the first time that we have shown that it is effective.” danger.
“These first results are good news for people at risk of arthritis, as they show that the drug can not only prevent the onset of the disease during the treatment phase, but also alleviate symptoms such as pain and fatigue. There is a possibility that it will.”
He added: “Currently, there are no drugs that can prevent this potentially deadly disease. Our next steps are to ensure that we can get the drug to those most at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. , to better understand people at risk.”
The trial also showed other results of abatacept use, including lower pain scores and improved quality of life measures for patients.
One patient, Philip Day, 35, from Eltham, south-east London, enrolled in the trial in 2018 and was prescribed abatacept. Joint pain has prevented the once avid soccer player from participating in the sport.
Mr Day described the trial as “a ray of hope in a dark time”. She added: “Within a few months, the pain was gone, and after five years I can say I'm cured. I can now play soccer with my three-year-old son and live a normal life.”
Professor Lucy Donaldson, from the charity Versus Arthritis, welcomed the findings, adding: “This study highlights how important it is to catch the early signs of arthritis and give it a chance to stop its progression, giving hope to thousands of people living with it.” You have rheumatoid arthritis or are at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. ”
