During the Asia Pacific League for Associations in Rheumatology 2023 (APLAR 2023) annual congress in Thailand, the R-Pharm Group of Companies presented three poster presentations. The presentations illuminate the impact of olokizumab in treatment approaches and explore the coexistence of other diseases in individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
The efficacy and safety of olokizumab were assessed as part of a large international clinical research program called CREDO. A recent retrospective analysis of data from the CREDO 2 trial, presented at APLAR 2023, reveals that comorbidities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis have minimal impact on the overall effectiveness of olokizumab.
An analysis of data from the CREDO 4 study showed that in patients receiving olokizumab in combination with an immunosuppressant, discontinuation of the latter for safety reasons does not lead to an exacerbation of the disease. This means that olokizumab as monotherapy can maintain control of rheumatoid arthritis, which is extremely important for the practitioner.
APLAR 2023 also presented results from post-marketing follow-up of patients in real-world clinical practice on non-medical switching from IL-6 receptor inhibitors to olokizumab. This switch was effective and safe, but it is important to note that in 30% of cases the drug was prescribed as monotherapy. Thus, olokizumab may be recommended in patients with rheumatoid arthritis if continuation of therapy with other genetically engineered biological drugs is not possible based on risk assessment.
Olokizumab is the original drug of the R-Pharm group of companies. It is the world’s first and only registered monoclonal antibody for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that directly blocks interleukin-6. Olokizumab was approved for medical use in Russia. On May 21, 2020, the Russian Health Ministry approved brand name Artlegia
