Vibeke Strand; Lixia Zhang; Alix Arnaud; Erin Connolly-Strong; Sam Asgarian & Johanna B Withers
Background
A blood-based molecular signature response classifier (MSRC) predicts non-response to tumor necrosis factor-ɑ inhibitors (TNFi) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Research design and methods
This is an interim analysis of data collected in the Study to Accelerate Information of Molecular Signatures (AIMS) in RA from patients who received the MSRC test between September 2020 and November 2021. Absolute changes in clinical disease activity index (CDAI) scores from baseline were evaluated at 12 weeks (n = 470) and 24 weeks (n = 274).
Results
Predicted TNFi non-responders who received a biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (b/tsDMARD) with an alternative mechanism of action (altMOA) experienced up to 1.8-fold greater improvements in CDAI scores than those treated with a TNFi (12 weeks: 12.2 vs 8.0; p-value = 0.083; 24 weeks: 14.2 vs 7.8 p-value = 0.009). In patients with a molecular signature of non-response to TNFi in high disease activity at baseline, this corresponded to 43.2% relative improvement in achieving a lower CDAI disease activity level when likely TNFi non-responders were treated with a non-TNFi therapy (38.9% vs 55.7%). Commensurate improvements in efficiency of spend are expected when TNFi are avoided in favor of altMOA.
Conclusions
RA treatment selection informed by MSRC test results improves clinical outcomes in real-world care and offers improvements in efficiency of healthcare spending.