Determinants of biological drug survival in rheumatoid arthritis: evidence from a Hungarian rheumatology center over 8 years of retrospective data

Figures & data

Table 1 Descriptive statistics at the patient level or treatment period level

Characteristics	Total sample (N=540, treatment periods=1108)
Age, mean (SD)	53.6 (12.8)
Woman, n (%)	456 (84.4)
Disease duration (in years) at first therapy (N=525), mean (SD)	12.1 (9.2)
Rheumatoid factor (N=521 patients)
Negative, n (%)	194 (37.2)
Positive, n (%)	327 (62.8)
Anti-CCP (N=524 patients)
Negative, n (%)	183 (35.0)
Positive, n (%)	341 (65.0)
Corticosteroid use (N=1099 treatment periods)
No, n (%)	674 (61.3)
Yes, n (%)	425 (38.7)
sDMARD (N=1105 treatment periods)
No, n (%)	230 (20.8)
Yes, n (%)	875 (79.2)
First bDMARD (N=540)
TNF-α, n (%)	515 (92.6)
Non-TNF-α, n (%)	25 (7.4)
Gap more than 30 days since last bDMA periods)	RD therapy (N=1108 treatment
No (including first therapy), n (%)	974 (87.9)
Yes, n (%)	134 (12.1)

Abbreviations: bDMARD, biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; CCP, cyclic citrullinated peptide; SD, standard deviation; sDMARD, synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

Figure 1 Survival times – discontinuation due to inefficacy by drug.

Abbreviations: ADA, adalimumab; CTZ, certolizumab pegol; ETA, etanercept; GOL, golimumab; INF, infliximab; RTX, rituximab; TCZ, tocilizumab.

Table 2 Cox regression – hazard ratios of discontinuation due to inefficacy, to adverse events, and to any reason

Number of subjects=502
Number of observed treatment period=1026
Standard error adjusted for individual clusters
Variables	Discontinuation due to inefficacy			Discontinuation due to adverse events			Discontinuation due to any reason
	HR	Standard error	p-Value	HR	Standard error	p-Value	HR	Standard error	p-Value
Order of treatment	1.272	0.087	<0.001	1.349	0.128	0.002	1.260	0.070	<0.001
Age	1.007	0.004	0.066	1.006	0.006	0.361	1.007	0.003	0.015
Male	0.898	0.153	0.528	0.620	0.142	0.036	0.769	0.097	0.037
RF	1.048	0.138	0.725	0.900	0.154	0.536	1.003	0.094	0.973
Anti-CCP	0.878	0.115	0.317	0.914	0.158	0.601	0.898	0.085	0.257
Steroid	0.931	0.108	0.537	1.112	0.183	0.519	0.985	0.084	0.856
sDMARD	0.818	0.121	0.175	0.585	0.127	0.014	0.707	0.077	0.001
Years of disease	1.000	0.006	0.972	1.015	0.007	0.037	1.006	0.004	0.109
Gap above 30 days	0.604	0.116	0.009	0.829	0.207	0.454	0.730	0.088	0.009
Biological
ETA	1.220	0.444	0.584	0.630	0.261	0.265	0.767	0.181	0.26
ADA	1.772	0.633	0.109	0.554	0.228	0.152	0.976	0.225	0.916
RTX	0.450	0.172	0.036	0.505	0.234	0.139	0.434	0.108	0.001
INF	1.552	0.565	0.227	1.040	0.416	0.923	1.088	0.256	0.72
TCZ	0.597	0.257	0.23	0.474	0.246	0.151	0.455	0.137	0.009
GOL	0.942	0.392	0.886	0.918	0.426	0.854	0.746	0.209	0.295

Note: Bold: significant at 0.05 level.

Abbreviations: ADA, adalimumab; CCP, cyclic citrullinated peptide; ETA, etanercept; GOL, golimumab; HR, hazard ratio; INF, infliximab; RF, rheumatoid factor; RTX, rituximab; sDMARD, synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; TCZ, tocilizumab.

Figure 2 Cox-regression-predicted survival times – discontinuation due to any reason, by number of treatment, and TNF-α.

Notes: Fixed variables and their values: rheumatoid factor=0, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies=0, steroid=0, sDMARD=1, disease years=13, and gap longer than a month=0.
Abbreviations: sDMARD, synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-alpha.