Development of Anti-Adalimumab Antibodies Linked to Decreased Treatment Effect

About one third of adalimumab recipients developed antibodies within 28 weeks.

Studies have shown that patients who developed anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antibodies during TNF inhibitor treatment were more likely to have lower levels of the drug in their bodies and to respond less well to therapy. In an industry-supported trial, investigators studied the effects of adalimumab on disease activity, serum drug levels, and anti-adalimumab antibodies in 272 patients receiving the drug for rheumatoid arthritis over a 3-year period.


Antidrug antibodies were found in 76 patients, 51% of whom developed such antibodies in the first 28 weeks of therapy. Compared with the patients who had anti-adalimumab antibodies, those without had significantly higher adalimumab concentrations and were more likely to have minimal or no disease activity, to have sustained remission, and to have continued treatment.


Citation(s):

Bartelds GM et al. Development of antidrug antibodies against adalimumab and association with disease activity and treatment failure during long-term follow-up. JAMA 2011 Apr 13; 305:1460.