Why carry out this study?

Golimumab and infliximab are both approved as intravenous (IV) therapies for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis; however, while golimumab-IV is approved at a fixed dose of 2 mg/kg, infliximab dosing in rheumatoid arthritis can range from 3 to 10 mg/kg.

This study provides real-world, comparative data for safety and effectiveness of golimumab-IV and infliximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

What has been learned from this study?

Infusion reactions were less common in golimumab-IV-treated patients through week 52 when compared with infliximab-treated patients.

The effectiveness of golimumab-IV (as assessed using the Clinical Disease Activity Index) at 6 and 12 months from baseline was non-inferior to infliximab among biologic-naïve patients.

Dose escalation with infliximab did not provide any additional benefit with respect to clinical effectiveness when compared with golimumab-IV at stable doses of 2 mg/kg.