Comparative effectiveness of a second TNF inhibitor versus a non-TNF biologic in the treatment of polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a second tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) versus a non-TNFi biologic following discontinuation of a TNFi for patients with polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA).

METHODS: Using the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry, patients with pJIA who started a second biologic following a first TNFi were identified. Patients were required to have no active uveitis on index date and a visit 6 months after the index date. Outcome measures included clinical juvenile arthritis disease activity score 10 (cJADAS10), cJADAS10 inactive disease (ID<2.5) and cJADAS10 minimal disease activity (MiDA<5). Multiple imputation was used to account for missing data. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were calculated using propensity score quintiles to compare outcomes at 6 months following second biologic initiation.

RESULTS: There were 216 patients included, 84% initially received etanercept and most patients stopped it for ineffectiveness (74%). 183 (85%) started a second TNFi and 33 (15%) started a non-TNFi. Adalimumab was the most common second biologic (71% overall, 84% of second TNFi) and tocilizumab was the most common non-TNFi second biologic (9% overall, 58% of non-TNFi). There was no difference between TNFi and non-TNFi in cJADAS ID (29% versus 25%; aOR 1.23 [0.47-3.20]) or at least MiDA (43% versus 39%; aOR 1.11 [0.47-2.62]) at 6 months.

CONCLUSION: Most patients with polyarticular course JIA started TNFi rather than non-TNFi as their second biologic, and there were no differences in disease activity at 6 months.