Aim: This multicenter retrospective study evaluated the differential impact of concomitant methotrexate (MTX) and glucocorticoids (GCs) administration by dosage on the effectiveness and safety of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) in a real-world cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, adjusting for clinical backgrounds variables.
Methods: The study included 3751 treatment courses (bDMARD- or JAKi-naïve cases, 48.9%; tumor necrosis factor inhibitors: 1668; tocilizumab [TCZ]: 865; abatacept [ABT]: 825; JAKi: 393). Hazard ratios for treatment retention were calculated using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for potential confounders. Improvement in the clinical disease activity index (ΔCDAI) with each formulation was analyzed using mixed-effects models for repeated measures, stratified by concomitant MTX and GCs dosages.
Results: Compared to MTX(-), a lower dose of MTX (< 10 mg/week) was associated with significant improvement in ΔCDAI with golimumab (GLM), TCZ, and JAKi and reduced discontinuation due to ineffectiveness of etanercept (ETN). A higher MTX dose (≥ 10 mg/week) demonstrated a similar trend. Compared to GCs(-), a lower dose of GCs (≤ 5 mg/day; prednisolone equivalent) was associated with a diminished ΔCDAI with GLM and an increased discontinuation due to ineffectiveness of ADA and GLM. A higher dose of GCs (> 5 mg/day) was associated with increased discontinuation due to safety with ETN, CZP, and JAKi.
Conclusions: The effects of concomitant MTX and GCs dosages on the effectiveness and safety of biologics and JAKi vary among agents. MTX did not mitigate safety issues, and GCs did not enhance effectiveness of any agents, regardless of dosage.
Keywords: Janus kinase inhibitors; biological disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs; glucocorticoids; methotrexate; rheumatoid arthritis.
© 2025 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.