Results from a recent Harris Interactive(R) survey of more than 500 European rheumatologists shed new light on current trends and practices in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, including optimal use of biologic therapies. In particular, rheumatologists acknowledged that more can to be done to improve patient outcomes, including switching biologic therapies in patients who demonstrate a less-than-optimal response to initial treatment.

The results were unveiled during the 2005 European League against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR). The physician survey and the patient survey were sponsored by Schering-Plough Corporation.

The majority of rheumatologists surveyed (88 percent) believe that RA patients may improve when switched from one anti-TNF product to another.    However, only 47 percent of rheumatologists actually switch to another biologic when patients experience a partial response (lack of control of inflammation and symptoms) and only 65 percent switch when patients do not respond. Among rheumatologists surveyed, 75 percent identified methotrexate as their first-line therapy of choice but indicated that it was an inadequate treatment in terms of achieving remission, fast onset of action for symptom control and retarding joint erosion. Those surveyed also identified these treatment goals as the reason for initiating biologic therapy.

"With an abundance of recent data supporting the use and benefits of biologics in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, it's particularly timely that we now try to better understand how rheumatologists are responding to these findings in true-to-life clinical settings," said Iain B. McInnes, FRCP, PhD - Professor of Experimental Medicine, University of Glasgow , Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist, Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, Glasgow Royal Infirmary,and advisor to the development of the survey. "One interesting finding of the survey revealed that the majority of rheumatologists sampled believe that treatment outcomes may be improved by trying different biologic agents when patients don't respond positively to initial treatment."

Other Key Findings:

    - Key treatment goals when initiating biologic therapy include: retarding the progression of joint erosion (46 percent); improving the rate of remission (44 percent); reducing pain and discomfort/pain relief (41   percent); reducing joint inflammation/swelling (38 percent); improving the patient's quality of life through improved physical mobility (34 percent); overall efficacy (32 percent); fast onset of action for symptom control (29 percent); improving synovitis (25 percent); and providing flexibility of dose (19 percent)

    - 19 percent of rheumatologists see patients with stable disease less often than they would prefer; 30 percent prefer to see patients with stable disease at least every 3 months and 22 percent actually see them that often

    - 35 percent of rheumatologists see patients with active disease less often than they would prefer; 44 percent prefer to see patients with active disease at least once a month, but just 25 percent actually see them that often.

Patient Survey Results

A separate survey of RA patients in Austria conducted by the Oesterreichische Rheumaliga (OeRL), a national patient advocacy organization, revealed, that despite significant treatment advances, patients continue to experience a reduced quality of life. While 89 percent of the patients reported they were "very or somewhat satisfied" with the results obtained from their current medication, a majority also reported RA continues to affect their ability to enjoy leisure life (85 percent) and ability to perform on the job (67 percent). Further, 67 percent reported they were willing to switch to other treatments if there was the possibility to achieve better results.

  Other Key Findings

    - Almost 50 percent of RA patients have been diagnosed with the disease 10 years or longer

    - 74 percent of patients have experienced their symptoms for up to two years before diagnosis

    - 70 percent of RA patients on biologics rate their pain as much less painful now compared to when the disease was first diagnosed

    - Of the patients who are being treated with biologics, 100 percent are satisfied with their treatment (77 percent very satisfied; 23 percent somewhat satisfied)

    - Of the patients who are not being treated with biologics, 85 percent are satisfied with their treatment (39 percent very satisfied; 46 percent somewhat satisfied)

About the Rheumatologists Survey

Harris Interactive(R) interviewed a total of 522 rheumatologists in five countries ( U.K. , Germany , France , Italy and Spain ) beginning on April 18 and ending on May 9, 2005 . To be included in the final survey, each rheumatologist must review 10 or more rheumatoid arthritis patients in an average month and must have been practicing medicine for a year or more since completion of full time medical training.

Web site: http://www.schering-plough.com

http://www.harris.com

(13/6/05)