Abatacept in active psoriatic arthritis: a profile of its use

Abstract

The biological DMARD abatacept (Orencia®), a selective co-stimulation modulator, is an effective and generally well tolerated treatment option for active psoriatic arthritis. It may be administered as a monthly intravenous (IV) infusion or as a weekly subcutaneous (SC) injection via a single-dose pre-filled syringe or ClickJet® autoinjector pen. In phase 2 and 3 trials in patients with or without a history of an inadequate response to tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, beneficial effects on musculoskeletal manifestations (including enthesitis, dactylitis, physical function and structural damage), psoriatic skin lesions and health-related quality of life (HR- QOL) were seen with IV or SC abatacept regimens. The clinical benefits of abatacept increased or were maintained with longer term use, and no new safety signals were identified.