People-Powered Medicine (PPM): Rheumatoid Arthritis Non-responders to Biologic Therapies (RANT)

Brigham and Women's Hospital300 enrolled

Overview

The investigators are interested in enrolling patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had a difficult time getting their disease under control even after trying multiple RA therapies. The investigators believe that there may be common patterns in the genes of this group of RA patients compared to those with more "textbook RA." Understanding genetic factors can help doctors to know in advance who may not respond to conventional therapies and start with treatments that work. Learning about underlying genes that influence treatment may help the investigators to identify new targets for therapy, to ultimately improve the lives of patients with RA and inflammatory arthritis.

The investigators are looking for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with an inadequate response to tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) and another biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (bDMARD) or small molecule approved for treating RA. The investigators are conducting this research to learn more about RA and the genetic patterns associated with patients whose RA cannot be well controlled with most RA treatments. Investigators anticipate that these patients will differ from "classic" RA patients in their biomarker and genetic composition and that they represent a mixed group of individuals who may be similar in ways that are not currently being measured.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

300

Conditions

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 95 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age \> 18 years * RA diagnosed by a rheumatologist * Poor control of RA disease activity with tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) and another biologic therapy or small molecule approved for RA Exclusion Criteria: * If the reason for failed TNFi therapy was due to a contraindication or adverse reaction * Unable to provide blood sample

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Whole genome sequencing

Genomic data will be applied in an established bioinformatics pipeline to screen for uncommon variants and test association with exceptional treatment non-responders compared with TNFi responders.

Time frame: Through study completion, averaging 1 year

Secondary Outcomes

Subgroup analyses of treatment non-responders

Patients who eventually find a therapy that controls their RA. The investigators will use prospective questionnaire data to subgroup patients into those who eventually find a treatment that works vs those who do not.

Time frame: 1 year