A study recently revealed that abatacept treatment reduced synovitis and osteitis scores and did not worsen erosion and JSN scores at Month 12. Over 10% of patients experienced repair of erosion. Throughout the past few decades, various pharmacotherapies options like NSAIDs, corticosteroids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) listed in RA management. One such drug which is proven very effective in RA treatment is Abatacept. 

This study summarizes the evaluation of abatacept efficacy among 35 RA patients through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of bilateral hands. The MRI evaluation was done at baseline and after 12months of abatacept treatment. The MRI images which were taken into account for evaluation were erosion, synovitis, joint space narrowing (JSN) and osteitis. The RA MRI Scoring System (RAMRIS) was used to rank these images. The change in RAMRIS score was considered as the primary endpoint.  The repair of erosion also noticed after the treatment. This was the negative change in the erosion scores which were noticed higher than the smallest detectable changes (SDCs).

Out of 35 patients, 31 finished the treatment therapy. The osteitis and synovitis scores exhibited a great statistical decrease at 12th month. On the other hand, no changes were seen in  JSN and median erosion scores. Only 11% of participants exhibited repair of erosion & obtained a functional remission. However, 83% of participants reflected no change in erosion scores. The study evaluated the Simplified Disease Activity Index response rate in the first month of treatment as an independent factor which predicted changes in the erosion scores after 12-month treatment.