Researchers find drug could delay rheumatoid arthritis by years

Researchers have found that a specific treatment could delay the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in people at high risk of the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue and leads to inflammation in the joints, which causes pain, swelling and stiffness.

The team from King’s College London set out to assess the longer-term impact of abatacept, which works by targeting the cause of inflammation.

The drug is already prescribed for people with the condition and a study in 2024 found that it was “effective in preventing the onset” of RA.

Researchers also wanted to assess the longer-term impact of the drug by tracking participants from the earlier study for a longer period of four to eight years.

They found that the benefits of abatacept lasted well beyond the treatment period of one year.

People at high risk of RA who received abatacept took significantly longer to develop RA compared with those given a dummy drug, or placebo, the authors wrote in the journal Lancet Rheumatology.

The research team found that disease onset was delayed by up to four years beyond the treatment period.

While it did not permanently prevent RA, the study suggested the treatment can postpone the development of the disease.

Andrew Cope, professor of rheumatology at King’s College London and lead author of the study, said: “Intervening early in people at high risk of RA can have lasting benefits.

“We have shown that this approach is safe and can prevent disease while patients are on treatment as well as substantially relieve symptoms.

“Importantly, it can also delay the onset of RA for several years, even after treatment has stopped.

“This could reduce how long people live with symptoms and complications, drastically improving their quality of life.”

Deborah Alsina, chief executive of Arthritis UK, said: “We welcome the findings of this study which demonstrate how we might be able to delay the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in people most at risk of the disease.

“An accurate arthritis diagnosis often takes months or years, which is simply unacceptable.

“A prompt diagnosis followed by personalised treatment and support can make all the difference between someone being able to work and live an independent life, to losing their independence altogether.

“This research highlights how important it is to spot the early signs of arthritis to give us a chance at stopping it in its tracks, offering hope to thousands of people living with – or at risk of developing – rheumatoid arthritis.”

The condition affects around 400,000 people aged 16 and over in the UK.