Key clinical point: Interleukin-6 receptor inhibitors (IL-6Ri) effectively increased hemoglobin levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) irrespective of their baseline levels, whereas Janus-kinase inhibitors (JAKi) improved hemoglobin levels in patients with RA and anemia and retained or decreased in those without anemia.
Major finding: From baseline to the 12-month follow-up, IL-6Ri increased hemoglobin levels in all patients with RA, irrespective of whether their baseline hemoglobin levels were low, intermediate, or high, and JAKi increased hemoglobin levels in those with RA and anemia, with levels remaining unaltered in those with intermediate hemoglobin levels and decreasing in those without anemia (all P < .001).
Study details: This study evaluated 2093 patients with RA from the ANSWER cohort who received biologic or targeted-synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
Disclosures: The ANSWER cohort study was supported by grants from 10 pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie G.K., Asahi-Kasei Pharma, AYUMI Pharmaceutical Co., and others, and an information technology services company. Several authors declared receiving speaker fees, consulting fees, honoraria, or research grants from various sources.
Source: Nakayama Y et al. IL-6 inhibitors and JAK inhibitors as favourable treatment options for patients with anaemia and rheumatoid arthritis: ANSWER cohort study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023 (Jun 24). Doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead299