It compared their ability to reduce Disease Activity Score-28 with CRP (DAS-28 CRP), a measure of rheumatoid arthritis disease severity that includes number of tender and swollen joints, C-reactive protein level (a marker of inflammation), and overall health reported on a standardized scale. The trial found that after 12 weeks of treatment, people treated with upadacitinib had lower DAS-28 CRP scores and a higher rate of remission. There was also a higher rate of serious and opportunistic infections, elevated liver enzymes, and thromboembolism in the upadacitinib group. History
Upadacitinib was approved for medical use in the United States in August 2019.The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved upadacitinib based on evidence from five clinical trials (Trial 1/NCT02706873, Trial 2/NCT02706951, Trial 3/NCT02675426, Trial 4/NCT02629159, Trial 5/NCT02706847) of 3,141 participants with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The trials were conducted in Australia, New Zealand, Israel, South Africa, Asia, North/Central/South America, and Europe.Five trials established the benefits and side effects of upadacitinib. Trials enrolled participants with moderate to severe active RA in whom disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDS) did not work well or could not be tolerated. All participants had at least six tender and six swollen joints, and increased levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). hsCRP is a substance produced by the body to protect itself from illness. Trials lasted up to 5 years.Trial 1 enrolled participants who had never been treated with MTX. Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of two doses of upadacitinib or MTX daily for 24 weeks.
Clinical trial number NCT02706873 for "A Study to Compare Upadacitinib (ABT-494) Monotherapy to Methotrexate (MTX) Monotherapy in Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Who Have Not Previously Taken Methotrexate (SELECT-EARLY)" at ClinicalTrials.gov
Clinical trial number NCT02706951 for "A Study Comparing Upadacitinib (ABT-494) Monotherapy to Methotrexate (MTX) Monotherapy in Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Who Have an Inadequate Response to MTX (SELECT-MONOTHERAPY)" at ClinicalTrials.gov
Clinical trial number NCT02675426 for "A Study Comparing Upadacitinib (ABT-494) to Placebo in Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis on a Stable Dose of Conventional Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (csDMARDs) Who Have an Inadequate Response to csDMARDs Alone (SELECT-NEXT)" at ClinicalTrials.gov
Clinical trial number NCT02629159 for "A Study Comparing Upadacitinib (ABT-494) to Placebo and to Adalimumab in Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis Who Are on a Stable Dose of Methotrexate and Who Have an Inadequate Response to Methotrexate (SELECT-COMPARE)" at ClinicalTrials.gov
Clinical trial number NCT02706847 for "A Study to Compare Upadacitinib (ABT-494) to Placebo in Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis on Stable Dose of Conventional Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (csDMARDs) With an Inadequate Response or Intolerance to Biologic DMARDs (SELECT-BEYOND)" at ClinicalTrials.gov