Study shows almost no difference in mortality with TNF drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis

A follow-up study of Swedish patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis taking TNF inhibitors Humira, Enbrel and Remicade reveals that there is no significant difference in the rates of death among patients. The study followed 1609 patients between 2003 and 2008. The results have been published in Arthritis and Rheumatism. "While we found no statistically significant difference in mortality rates across the three biologic therapies, further studies are needed to determine if this is true across certain subsets of patients with RA, says lead author Dr. Julia Fridman Simard with the Clinical Epidemiology Unit at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. See: "Mortality in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated with TNF Inhibitors: Drug-Specific Comparisons in the Swedish Biologics Register." Julia F Simard, Martin Neovius, Johan Askling for the ARTIS study group. Arthritis & Rheumatism; Published Online: August 8, 2012 (DOI: 10.1002/art.34582).