22 June 2016 - A list of included studies on drugs for the management of rheumatoid arthritis is now available for feedback from all interested stakeholders.

CADTH is undertaking a project to assess the comparative effectiveness and safety of drugs for rheumatoid arthritis.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis generally includes traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Newer biologic DMARDs became available several years ago. In 2010, CADTH published a Therapeutic Review of drugs used in rheumatoid arthritis that focused on biologics. Since then, the area of rheumatoid arthritis has continued to evolve:

• Drugs known as small molecule DMARDs, or Janus-associated kinase (JAK) inhibitors, are now being used. Tofacitinib (Xeljanz) received Health Canada approval in April 2014 and baricitinib is in development.
• There is new evidence that suggests traditional DMARDs are non-inferior to biologics in established rheumatoid arthritis.
• The introduction of subsequent entry biologics, or new versions of biologics that come to the Canadian market after the patent for the original product has expired, provides patients with access to additional treatment options

This clinical evaluation will include traditional DMARDs, biologic DMARDs, and the newer small molecule DMARDs. It will look at adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, who have been previously treated.

For more details, go to: https://www.cadth.ca/drugs-management-rheumatoid-arthritis