Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment After First Anti-TNF INvestiGation

Inclusion Criteria

• •Age ≥18 years at the time of signing the informed consent form and either male or female.
• •Diagnosis of RA according to the 1987 ACR classification criteria OR 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria at least 6 months prior to screening.
• •Patients with persistent RA disease activity whilst being treated with an initial TNFi agent on a background MTX up to 20-25 mg/week for at least 12 weeks defined according to SIR and EULAR guidelines as: primary non-response: failing to improve DAS28 by ≥ 1.2 or failing to achieve DAS28 ≤ 3.2 within the first three to six months of starting the initial TNFi; secondary non-response: determined by physician decision with evidence of flare and deterioration in DAS28 of ≥ 1.2.
• •Methotrexate (MTX) dose stable for 28 days prior to screening.
• •Patients on NSAIDs and / or corticosteroids must remain on an unchanged regimen for at least 28 days prior to study drug administration.
• •The patient must be able to comply with the study visit schedule and other protocol requirements.
• •The patient understands the purpose of the study and is able and willing to sign the informed consent form, according to ICH/GCP.
• •Signed written informed consent for biological analysis.
• •Female patients with reproductive potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 7 days prior to start of trial. Women of childbearing potential and male patients must be willing to practice acceptable methods of contraception during treatment and for 6 months (female patients) and 3 months (male patients) after discontinuation of treatment.