Real-world data reveals the complexity of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug treatment patterns in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: an observational study

Abstract

ObjectivePharmacological treatment is a cornerstone of care for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The objective of this study is to evaluate prescription patterns of conventional and biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (c-DMARDs and b-DMARDs) for patients with JIA.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of children diagnosed with JIA at a rheumatology pediatric clinic. Eligibility criteria were defined as children and youth newly diagnosed with enthesis-related arthritis, polyarticular, or oligoarticular JIA between 2011 and 2019, with at least one year of observation. Data on c-DMARDs and b-DMARDs prescriptions were obtained from electronic medical charts. We used descriptive statistics, Kaplan–Meier survival methods, and Sankey diagrams to describe treatment prescription patterns.ResultsA total of 325 patients with JIA were included, with a median observation time of 3.7 years. The most frequently prescribed c-DMARD and b-DMARD were methotrexate and etanercept, respectively. Within the first year of rheumatology care, 62% and 21% of patients had a c-DMARD and a b-DMARD prescribed, respectively. These proportions varied greatly by JIA subtype. Among the 147 (147/325, 45%) patients that had at least one b-DMARD prescribed, 24% were prescribed a second, and 7% a third-line of b-DMARD. A total of 112 unique treatment sequences were observed, with c-DMARD monotherapy followed by the addition of either a b-DMARD (56%) or another c-DMARD (30%) being the two most prevalent patterns in this cohort.ConclusionWe observed a variety of treatment trajectories, with many patients experiencing multiple treatment lines, illustrating the complexity of the overall JIA treatment path.