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The following is a summary of “Nintedanib in rheumatoid arthritis related interstitial lung disease: real-world safety profile and risk of side effects and discontinuation,” published in the December 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Sebastiani et al.
Concerns exist about the safety of nintedanib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), especially with comorbidities or in combination with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the safety of nintedanib in patients with RA-ILD from the Italian GISEA registry, focusing on the impact of comorbidities and DMARDs.
They enrolled 65 patients treated with nintedanib according to current therapeutic indications. Nintedanib was prescribed in combination with DMARDs and/or steroids for 62 patients (95.4%).
The results showed a 12-month retention rate of 76.7%. Nintedanib was effective in 80% of patients with at least 6 months of follow-up. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 36 patients (55.3%), primarily gastroenteric. About 31 patients required a dose reduction; 22 continued treatments with a reduced dose, while 15 (23.1%) discontinued due to treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Comorbidities were significantly linked to side effects, and AEs were the main cause of discontinuation.
Investigators found that combination therapy with DMARDs did not affect the safety or effectiveness of nintedanib. AEs, mainly due to comorbidities, were the primary reasons for dose reduction or drug withdrawal.
Source: jrheum.org/content/early/2024/12/07/jrheum.2024-0976
