Key clinical point: Despite no significant treatment difference between the sexes, the time-averaged difference in remission rates between men and women with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was significantly greater with tocilizumab than with active conventional treatment.
Major finding: The remission rates were only numerically higher in men vs women. However, when averaged over time, tocilizumab vs active conventional therapy was associated with a higher probability of Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) remission in men (risk difference [RD] 0.12; P = .04) but with a lower probability of CDAI remission in women (RD −0.05; P = .17).
Study details: This was a post hoc analysis of the phase 4 trial, NORD-STAR, including 812 treatment-naive patients with early RA who were randomly assigned to receive active conventional treatment or certolizumab-pegol or abatacept or tocilizumab in combination with methotrexate.
Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. Several authors reported receiving institutional grants, honoraria, consulting or personal fees, travel support, or personal data safety monitoring or advisory board fees from various sources.
Source: Lend K et al. Sex differences in remission rates over 24 weeks among three different biological treatments compared to conventional therapy in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (NORD-STAR): A post-hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial . Lancet Rheumatol. 2022 (Aug 23). Doi: 10.1016/S2665-9913(22)00186-2