Rheumatoid ArthritisPhase 4AMiRANCT03619876
Effects of Abatacept on Myocarditis in Rheumatoid Arthritis
A Phase 4 study testing Abatacept and Adalimumab in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Myocardial Inflammation, run by Columbia University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study aims to evaluate the effects of abatacept, a CTLA4-Ig fusion protein that binds cluster of differentiation antigen 80 (CD80)/86 (B7-1/B7-2), on subclinical myocarditis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through its effect on T cell subpopulations. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Rheumatoid Arthritis, Myocardial Inflammation
- What is being tested?
- Abatacept and Adalimumab
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 11 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 10 Jul 2019to 15 Sep 2021
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Written informed consent signed by the subject.
- Patients age > 18 years.
- Fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology 2010 classification criteria for RA.
- MTX for ≥ 8 weeks at ≥ 15mg weekly or on at least 7.5mg of methotrexate weekly for ≥8 weeks with a documented intolerance of higher MTX doses, and on a stable dose for the previous 4 weeks;
- Naïve to biologic treatment.
- If the subject is a woman with childbearing potential, a urine sample will be taken for a pregnancy test. The results of the pregnancy test must be negative.
Who cannot join
- Prior biologic use.
- Any prior self-reported physician diagnosed CV event (myocardial infarction; angina; stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA); heart failure; prior CV procedure (i.e., coronary artery bypass graft, angioplasty, valve replacement, pacemaker).
- Active history of cancer.
- Prior use of immune checkpoint inhibitors.
- Known pregnancy, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, active (or untreated latent) tuberculosis.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Columbia University Medical Center
New York, New York, 10023
About this study
This study aims to evaluate the effects of abatacept, a CTLA4-Ig fusion protein that binds cluster of differentiation antigen 80 (CD80)/86 (B7-1/B7-2), on subclinical myocarditis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through its effect on T cell subpopulations. RA patients without clinical CVD, biologic naïve, and with inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX), will undergo cardiac fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computerized tomography (CT) imaging to assess myocardial inflammation. Studies that investigate the impact of treatment on subclinical myocarditis in RA, a possible contributor to heart failure, while exploring potential underlying mechanisms (i.e., different T cell subpopulations), are needed for a better understanding of their relevance in the pathogenesis of heart failure in RA and survival improvement in these patients with excess risk for cardiovascular death. If the investigator hypothesis is confirmed and treatment with abatacept decreases and/or suppresses or prevents myocardial inflammation in RA, this will have multidisciplinary implications that could lead to changes in the current management of RA patients at high risk for cardiovascular events. Similarly, identification of T cell subpopulations in RA patients with myocardial FDG uptake will shed light into the underlying cellular mechanisms of myocardial injury and serve to guide the use of therapies that prevent their pathogenicity. The objectives of this study are to compare the change in myocardial FDG uptake in RA patients treated with abatacept vs adalimumab, and identify T cell subpopulations associated with myocardial FDG uptake in each treatment arm. RA patients will be randomized in an unblinded, 1:1 ratio to treatment with abatacept vs adalimumab. A cardiac FDG PET/CT will be performed at baseline and 16 weeks post-biologic treatment. T cell subpopulations associated with myocardial FDG uptake will be evaluated at both points in time with their transcriptional phenotype outlined by RNA sequencing.
Read the detailed description
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease that affects ~1% of the population. Regardless of the novel therapies developed in the last decades, studies report an increased standard mortality ratio as high as 3.0 when compared with the general population. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in RA subjects in whom the average lifespan is reduced by 8-15 years compared to matched controls. RA patients are at increased risk for developing heart failure and inflammatory myocarditis potentially contributes to this excess risk. Although subclinical myocarditis remains poorly characterized to date in RA, costimulatory molecules such as CD80/86 (B7s) and CD40 are known to play a pivotal role for cytokine production and antigen-specific T cell activation in viral myocarditis, and in murine models, blocking CD40L/B7-1 and CTLA4 significantly decreases myocardial inflammation, damage, and mortality. In addition, the recent increase in the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of numerous cancers, has raised awareness of the occurrence of fulminant autoimmune lymphocytic myocarditis as a complication of these drugs including anti-CTLA4 due to a presumed uncontrolled immune response resulting in T-cell mediated myocardial injury. Interestingly, pilot data showed lower myocardial FDG uptake in RA patients on the a CTLA4-Ig fusion protein abatacept compared with other DMARDs. These data raise the possibility of immunotherapy for the treatment of myocarditis in RA, suggesting a role for T cell infiltration in its pathogenesis, and a particular benefit for treatment with abatacept vs non-abatacept biologic DMARDs.
In a single RHeumatoid arthritis studY of THe Myocardium (RHYTHM study), a total of 119 RA patients without clinical CVD underwent cardiac FDG-PET/CT, with myocardial inflammation assessed qualitatively and quantitatively by visual inspection and by calculation of the standardized-uptake-value (SUV) units. Qualitative myocardial FDG uptake was observed in 39% of the patients. Animal data showing decreased myocardial inflammation, damage, and mortality, and improved cardiac function with CD40L/B7-1 and CTLA4 blockage, coupled with preliminary findings of lower myocardial inflammation in RA patients on abatacept vs other DMARDs, suggest that abatacept treatment has potential myocardial benefits. In RA patients, the proportion of peripheral T cell subsets significantly differs from normal controls and include differentiation to memory effector subsets, acquisition of natural killer (NK) receptors, exhaustion markers, and enhanced inflammatory cytokine expression. Importantly, T cell lymphocytic infiltration described in autoimmune myocarditis resulting as a complication of CTLA4 immune checkpoint inhibition, suggests a role for T cell subsets in the pathogenesis of myocarditis in RA with potential differences depending on mechanism of action of the DMARD in use. Studies that investigate the impact of treatment on subclinical myocarditis in RA, a possible contributor to heart failure, while exploring potential underlying mechanisms (i.e., different T cell subpopulations), are needed for a better understanding of their relevance in the pathogenesis of heart failure in RA and survival improvement in these patients with excess risk for cardiovascular death. If the investigator hypothesis is confirmed and treatment with abatacept decreases and/or suppresses or prevents myocardial inflammation in RA, this will have multidisciplinary implications that could lead to changes in the current management of RA patients at high risk for cardiovascular events. Similarly, identification of T cell subpopulations in RA patients with myocardial FDG uptake will shed light into the underlying cellular mechanisms of myocardial injury and serve to guide the use of therapies that prevent their pathogenicity.
This is a single-center study. Twenty RA patients will be recruited over a planned recruitment period of 24 months, and randomized with aims of enrolling 10 patients per year, the enrollment rate is estimated as 1 patient per month. The target population consists of patients who are deemed methotrexate-inadequate responders by the patient's treating rheumatologist, and who have not yet stepped up to additional treatment with a biologic DMARD.
- Conditions
- Rheumatoid Arthritis, Myocardial Inflammation
- Being tested
- Abatacept, Adalimumab
- Keywords
- CTLA4-Ig, Abatacept, Myocarditis, RA
- Medical subject headings
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid, Myocarditis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
AbataceptDrug
Also called Orencia
125 MG/ML subcutaneous injections
AdalimumabDrug
Also called Humira
40 Mg/0.8 mL Subcutaneous Kit
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Non- Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor arm | Active comparator | Treatment with abatacept will consist of weekly subcutaneous (SQ) injections at a dose of 125mg. Receives: Drug: Abatacept |
| TNF inhibitor arm | Active comparator | Treatment with a adalimumab, as the TNF-inhibitor arm, will consist of every 2 weeks SQ injections at a dose of 40mg. Receives: Drug: Adalimumab |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Myocardial FDG Uptake in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Patients Treated With Abatacept vs Adalimumab.
Using FDG PET cardiac imaging to identify myocardial inflammation at baseline and post-treatment, the study will quantitatively compare the change in myocardial FDG uptake in biologic naïve RA patients without clinical CVD and with inadequate methotrexate response, following randomization to 16-week treatment with abatacept vs the TNF-inhibitor adalimumab. Conventional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and measures of RA disease activity and severity will be ascertained.
Measured: Baseline, 16 weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
Prevalence of T Cell Subpopulations Associated With Myocardial FDG Uptake in RA Patients Treated With Abatacept vs Adalimumab.
This is to test whether elevations in different T cell subsets are associated with myocardial FDG uptake in RA patients treated with abatacept vs adalimumab. Subsequently, the transcriptional phenotype of candidate subpopulations.
Measured: Baseline, 16 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Aug 2018
- Study start10 Jul 2019
- Primary completion15 Sep 2021
- Study completion15 Sep 2021
Why it stopped: Lack of funding
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (14)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Rheumatoid ArthritisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Columbia UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- RA patients will be randomized in an unblinded, 1:1 ratio to treatment with abatacept vs adalimumab. A cardiac FDG PET/CT will be performed at baseline and 16(±2) weeks post-biologic treatment. T cell subpopulations associated with myocardial FDG uptake will be evaluated at both points in time with their transcriptional phenotype outlined by RNAseq.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 11 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Columbia University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Laura Geraldino-Pardilla, Columbia University
- Investigators
- Laura Geraldino-Pardilla, MD, Principal investigator, CUMC
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03619876
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- AAAS2235
- Acronym
- AMiRA
- Status last verified
- Apr 2023
- First submitted
- 3 Aug 2018
- Last updated
- 8 May 2023
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Symmons DP, Jones MA, Scott DL, Prior P. Longterm mortality outcome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: early presenters continue to do well. J Rheumatol. 1998 Jun;25(6):1072-7.
PubMed 9632066Solomon DH, Karlson EW, Rimm EB, Cannuscio CC, Mandl LA, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Curhan GC. Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in women diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Circulation. 2003 Mar 11;107(9):1303-7. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.0000054612.26458.b2.
PubMed 12628952Sihvonen S, Korpela M, Laippala P, Mustonen J, Pasternack A. Death rates and causes of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based study. Scand J Rheumatol. 2004;33(4):221-7. doi: 10.1080/03009740410005845.
PubMed 15370716Solomon DH, Goodson NJ, Katz JN, Weinblatt ME, Avorn J, Setoguchi S, Canning C, Schneeweiss S. Patterns of cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 Dec;65(12):1608-12. doi: 10.1136/ard.2005.050377. Epub 2006 Jun 22.
PubMed 16793844Wolfe F, Freundlich B, Straus WL. Increase in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease prevalence in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2003 Jan;30(1):36-40.
PubMed 12508387LEBOWITZ WB. The heart in rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid disease). A clinical and pathological study of sixty-two cases. Ann Intern Med. 1963 Jan;58:102-23. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-58-1-102. No abstract available.
PubMed 13928929CATHCART ES, SPODICK DH. Rheumatoid heart disease. A study of the incidence and nature of cardiac lesions in rheumatoid arthritis. N Engl J Med. 1962 May 10;266:959-64. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196205102661901. No abstract available.
PubMed 13877345SOKOLOFF L. CARDIAC INVOLVEMENT IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND ALLIED DISORDERS: CURRENT CONCEPTS. Mod Concepts Cardiovasc Dis. 1964 Apr;33:847-50. No abstract available.
PubMed 14144874Han B, Jiang H, Liu Z, Zhang Y, Zhao L, Lu K, Xi J. CTLA4-Ig relieves inflammation in murine models of coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis. Can J Cardiol. 2012 Mar-Apr;28(2):239-44. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2011.11.014. Epub 2012 Feb 14.
PubMed 22336520Matsui Y, Inobe M, Okamoto H, Chiba S, Shimizu T, Kitabatake A, Uede T. Blockade of T cell costimulatory signals using adenovirus vectors prevents both the induction and the progression of experimental autoimmune myocarditis. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2002 Mar;34(3):279-95. doi: 10.1006/jmcc.2001.1511.
PubMed 11945021Abe S, Hanawa H, Hayashi M, Yoshida T, Komura S, Watanabe R, Lie H, Chang H, Kato K, Kodama M, Maruyama H, Nakazawa M, Miyazaki J, Aizawa Y. Prevention of experimental autoimmune myocarditis by hydrodynamics-based naked plasmid DNA encoding CTLA4-Ig gene delivery. J Card Fail. 2005 Sep;11(7):557-64. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2005.04.005.
PubMed 16198253Liu W, Gao C, Zhou BG, Li WM. Effects of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of ICOSIg and CTLA4Ig fusion protein on experimental autoimmune myocarditis. Autoimmunity. 2006 Mar;39(2):83-92. doi: 10.1080/08916930500507870.
PubMed 16698663Johnson DB, Balko JM, Compton ML, Chalkias S, Gorham J, Xu Y, Hicks M, Puzanov I, Alexander MR, Bloomer TL, Becker JR, Slosky DA, Phillips EJ, Pilkinton MA, Craig-Owens L, Kola N, Plautz G, Reshef DS, Deutsch JS, Deering RP, Olenchock BA, Lichtman AH, Roden DM, Seidman CE, Koralnik IJ, Seidman JG, Hoffman RD, Taube JM, Diaz LA Jr, Anders RA, Sosman JA, Moslehi JJ. Fulminant Myocarditis with Combination Immune Checkpoint Blockade. N Engl J Med. 2016 Nov 3;375(18):1749-1755. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1609214.
PubMed 27806233Varricchi G, Galdiero MR, Tocchetti CG. Cardiac Toxicity of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Cardio-Oncology Meets Immunology. Circulation. 2017 Nov 21;136(21):1989-1992. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.029626. No abstract available.
PubMed 29158212
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 May 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Abatacept on Myocarditis in Rheumatoid Arthritis
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03619876
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- AMiRA / AAAS2235
- Conditions
- Rheumatoid Arthritis, Myocardial Inflammation
- Keywords
- CTLA4-Ig, Abatacept, Myocarditis, RA
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: Lack of funding
- Enrolment
- 11 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Columbia UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Study start
- 10 Jul 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Sep 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Sep 2021 (actual)
- First posted
- 8 Aug 2018 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 8 May 2023
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to evaluate the effects of abatacept, a CTLA4-Ig fusion protein that binds cluster of differentiation antigen 80 (CD80)/86 (B7-1/B7-2), on subclinical myocarditis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through its effect on T cell subpopulations. RA patients without clinical CVD, biologic naïve, and with inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX), will undergo cardiac fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computerized tomography (CT) imaging to assess myocardial inflammation. Studies that investigate the impact of treatment on subclinical myocarditis in RA, a possible contributor to heart failure, while exploring potential underlying mechanisms (i.e., different T cell subpopulations), are needed for a better understanding of their relevance in the pathogenesis of heart failure in RA and survival improvement in these patients with excess risk for cardiovascular death. If the investigator hypothesis is confirmed and treatment with abatacept decreases and/or suppresses or prevents myocardial inflammation in RA, this will have multidisciplinary implications that could lead to changes in the current management of RA patients at high risk for cardiovascular events. Similarly, identification of T cell subpopulations in RA patients with myocardial FDG uptake will shed light into the underlying cellular mechanisms of myocardial injury and serve to guide the use of therapies that prevent their pathogenicity. The objectives of this study are to compare the change in myocardial FDG uptake in RA patients treated with abatacept vs adalimumab, and identify T cell subpopulations associated with myocardial FDG uptake in each treatment arm. RA patients will be randomized in an unblinded, 1:1 ratio to treatment with abatacept vs adalimumab. A cardiac FDG PET/CT will be performed at baseline and 16 weeks post-biologic treatment. T cell subpopulations associated with myocardial FDG uptake will be evaluated at both points in time with their transcriptional phenotype outlined by RNA sequencing.
Detailed description
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease that affects ~1% of the population. Regardless of the novel therapies developed in the last decades, studies report an increased standard mortality ratio as high as 3.0 when compared with the general population. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in RA subjects in whom the average lifespan is reduced by 8-15 years compared to matched controls. RA patients are at increased risk for developing heart failure and inflammatory myocarditis potentially contributes to this excess risk. Although subclinical myocarditis remains poorly characterized to date in RA, costimulatory molecules such as CD80/86 (B7s) and CD40 are known to play a pivotal role for cytokine production and antigen-specific T cell activation in viral myocarditis, and in murine models, blocking CD40L/B7-1 and CTLA4 significantly decreases myocardial inflammation, damage, and mortality. In addition, the recent increase in the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of numerous cancers, has raised awareness of the occurrence of fulminant autoimmune lymphocytic myocarditis as a complication of these drugs including anti-CTLA4 due to a presumed uncontrolled immune response resulting in T-cell mediated myocardial injury. Interestingly, pilot data showed lower myocardial FDG uptake in RA patients on the a CTLA4-Ig fusion protein abatacept compared with other DMARDs. These data raise the possibility of immunotherapy for the treatment of myocarditis in RA, suggesting a role for T cell infiltration in its pathogenesis, and a particular benefit for treatment with abatacept vs non-abatacept biologic DMARDs.
In a single RHeumatoid arthritis studY of THe Myocardium (RHYTHM study), a total of 119 RA patients without clinical CVD underwent cardiac FDG-PET/CT, with myocardial inflammation assessed qualitatively and quantitatively by visual inspection and by calculation of the standardized-uptake-value (SUV) units. Qualitative myocardial FDG uptake was observed in 39% of the patients. Animal data showing decreased myocardial inflammation, damage, and mortality, and improved cardiac function with CD40L/B7-1 and CTLA4 blockage, coupled with preliminary findings of lower myocardial inflammation in RA patients on abatacept vs other DMARDs, suggest that abatacept treatment has potential myocardial benefits. In RA patients, the proportion of peripheral T cell subsets significantly differs from normal controls and include differentiation to memory effector subsets, acquisition of natural killer (NK) receptors, exhaustion markers, and enhanced inflammatory cytokine expression. Importantly, T cell lymphocytic infiltration described in autoimmune myocarditis resulting as a complication of CTLA4 immune checkpoint inhibition, suggests a role for T cell subsets in the pathogenesis of myocarditis in RA with potential differences depending on mechanism of action of the DMARD in use. Studies that investigate the impact of treatment on subclinical myocarditis in RA, a possible contributor to heart failure, while exploring potential underlying mechanisms (i.e., different T cell subpopulations), are needed for a better understanding of their relevance in the pathogenesis of heart failure in RA and survival improvement in these patients with excess risk for cardiovascular death. If the investigator hypothesis is confirmed and treatment with abatacept decreases and/or suppresses or prevents myocardial inflammation in RA, this will have multidisciplinary implications that could lead to changes in the current management of RA patients at high risk for cardiovascular events. Similarly, identification of T cell subpopulations in RA patients with myocardial FDG uptake will shed light into the underlying cellular mechanisms of myocardial injury and serve to guide the use of therapies that prevent their pathogenicity.
This is a single-center study. Twenty RA patients will be recruited over a planned recruitment period of 24 months, and randomized with aims of enrolling 10 patients per year, the enrollment rate is estimated as 1 patient per month. The target population consists of patients who are deemed methotrexate-inadequate responders by the patient's treating rheumatologist, and who have not yet stepped up to additional treatment with a biologic DMARD.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- RA patients will be randomized in an unblinded, 1:1 ratio to treatment with abatacept vs adalimumab. A cardiac FDG PET/CT will be performed at baseline and 16(±2) weeks post-biologic treatment. T cell subpopulations associated with myocardial FDG uptake will be evaluated at both points in time with their transcriptional phenotype outlined by RNAseq.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Non- Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor arm | Active comparator | Drug: AbataceptTreatment with abatacept will consist of weekly subcutaneous (SQ) injections at a dose of 125mg. |
| TNF inhibitor arm | Active comparator | Drug: AdalimumabTreatment with a adalimumab, as the TNF-inhibitor arm, will consist of every 2 weeks SQ injections at a dose of 40mg. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Written informed consent signed by the subject.
- Patients age > 18 years.
- Fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology 2010 classification criteria for RA.
- MTX for ≥ 8 weeks at ≥ 15mg weekly or on at least 7.5mg of methotrexate weekly for ≥8 weeks with a documented intolerance of higher MTX doses, and on a stable dose for the previous 4 weeks;
- Naïve to biologic treatment.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Prior biologic use.
- Any prior self-reported physician diagnosed CV event (myocardial infarction; angina; stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA); heart failure; prior CV procedure (i.e., coronary artery bypass graft, angioplasty, valve replacement, pacemaker).
- Active history of cancer.
- Prior use of immune checkpoint inhibitors.
- Known pregnancy, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, active (or untreated latent) tuberculosis.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| AbataceptAlso: Orencia125 MG/ML subcutaneous injections | Drug | Non- Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor arm |
| AdalimumabAlso: Humira40 Mg/0.8 mL Subcutaneous Kit | Drug | TNF inhibitor arm |
Primary outcome
Change in Myocardial FDG Uptake in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Patients Treated With Abatacept vs Adalimumab.
Time frame: Baseline, 16 weeks
Using FDG PET cardiac imaging to identify myocardial inflammation at baseline and post-treatment, the study will quantitatively compare the change in myocardial FDG uptake in biologic naïve RA patients without clinical CVD and with inadequate methotrexate response, following randomization to 16-week treatment with abatacept vs the TNF-inhibitor adalimumab. Conventional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and measures of RA disease activity and severity will be ascertained.
1 secondary outcome
Prevalence of T Cell Subpopulations Associated With Myocardial FDG Uptake in RA Patients Treated With Abatacept vs Adalimumab.
Time frame: Baseline, 16 weeks
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 May 2023.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Background: PubMed 9632066Symmons DP, Jones MA, Scott DL, Prior P. Longterm mortality outcome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: early presenters continue to do well. J Rheumatol. 1998 Jun;25(6):1072-7.
- Background: PubMed 12628952Solomon DH, Karlson EW, Rimm EB, Cannuscio CC, Mandl LA, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Curhan GC. Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in women diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Circulation. 2003 Mar 11;107(9):1303-7. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.0000054612.26458.b2.
- Background: PubMed 15370716Sihvonen S, Korpela M, Laippala P, Mustonen J, Pasternack A. Death rates and causes of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based study. Scand J Rheumatol. 2004;33(4):221-7. doi: 10.1080/03009740410005845.
- Background: PubMed 16793844Solomon DH, Goodson NJ, Katz JN, Weinblatt ME, Avorn J, Setoguchi S, Canning C, Schneeweiss S. Patterns of cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 Dec;65(12):1608-12. doi: 10.1136/ard.2005.050377. Epub 2006 Jun 22.
- Background: PubMed 12508387Wolfe F, Freundlich B, Straus WL. Increase in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease prevalence in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2003 Jan;30(1):36-40.
- Background: PubMed 13928929LEBOWITZ WB. The heart in rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid disease). A clinical and pathological study of sixty-two cases. Ann Intern Med. 1963 Jan;58:102-23. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-58-1-102. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 13877345CATHCART ES, SPODICK DH. Rheumatoid heart disease. A study of the incidence and nature of cardiac lesions in rheumatoid arthritis. N Engl J Med. 1962 May 10;266:959-64. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196205102661901. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 14144874SOKOLOFF L. CARDIAC INVOLVEMENT IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND ALLIED DISORDERS: CURRENT CONCEPTS. Mod Concepts Cardiovasc Dis. 1964 Apr;33:847-50. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 22336520Han B, Jiang H, Liu Z, Zhang Y, Zhao L, Lu K, Xi J. CTLA4-Ig relieves inflammation in murine models of coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis. Can J Cardiol. 2012 Mar-Apr;28(2):239-44. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2011.11.014. Epub 2012 Feb 14.
- Background: PubMed 11945021Matsui Y, Inobe M, Okamoto H, Chiba S, Shimizu T, Kitabatake A, Uede T. Blockade of T cell costimulatory signals using adenovirus vectors prevents both the induction and the progression of experimental autoimmune myocarditis. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2002 Mar;34(3):279-95. doi: 10.1006/jmcc.2001.1511.
- Background: PubMed 16198253Abe S, Hanawa H, Hayashi M, Yoshida T, Komura S, Watanabe R, Lie H, Chang H, Kato K, Kodama M, Maruyama H, Nakazawa M, Miyazaki J, Aizawa Y. Prevention of experimental autoimmune myocarditis by hydrodynamics-based naked plasmid DNA encoding CTLA4-Ig gene delivery. J Card Fail. 2005 Sep;11(7):557-64. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2005.04.005.
- Background: PubMed 16698663Liu W, Gao C, Zhou BG, Li WM. Effects of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of ICOSIg and CTLA4Ig fusion protein on experimental autoimmune myocarditis. Autoimmunity. 2006 Mar;39(2):83-92. doi: 10.1080/08916930500507870.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Laura Geraldino-Pardilla, MD principal investigator
CUMC
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 4 study testing Abatacept and Adalimumab in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Myocardial Inflammation, run by Columbia University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 May 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 8 May 2023). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Myocardial FDG Uptake in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Patients Treated With Abatacept vs Adalimumab. (time frame: Baseline, 16 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03619876, which also lists 14 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 May 2023; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.