Options for Those who Suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis as New Research Reflects the Benefit of Repository Corticotropin Injection (RCI) to Real-World Clinical Outcomes

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Nov. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- United Rheumatology, the pre-eminent rheumatology care management organization known for empowering rheumatologists to advance the standard of care, recently announced findings that suggest Repository Corticotropin Injection (RCI) Acthar^® Gel significantly improves clinical outcomes and decreases the need for concomitant medications for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study, published in Open Access Rheumatology: Research and Reviews, evaluated real-world treatment patterns and outcomes from an electronic medical records database for patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with RCI and provided valuable insights into the use of this treatment and management of these difficult-to-treat patients during routine clinical practice. The link to this article can be found here.

Electronic medical records data was obtained from the United Rheumatology-Normal Integrated Community Evidence (UR-NICE) repository for patients who used RCI to treat RA. RCI is a naturally sourced mixture of adrenocorticotropic hormone analogs and other pituitary peptides that exerts anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties via melanocortin receptors. It is approved as a short-term adjunctive therapy for RA and is typically used in patients with refractory RA.

"This study is an excellent example of the importance of the UR-NICE data repository to the understanding of the performance of a pharmaceutical in the real-world ecosystem of Clinical Rheumatology," said Executive Vice President and Chief Value Medical Officer of United Rheumatology, Dr. Andrew Concoff. "The deidentified and aggregated data from United Rheumatology member practices across the country creates the opportunity to gain novel insights as to the performance of medications in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The clinical phenotype of the patients that have typically been treated with RCI is better understood by the analysis of UR-NICE data in this study."

Patients with severe RA activity, at initiation of RCI therapy, showed a significant reduction of swollen and tender joints, pain, and the need for additional medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids, and disease-modifying antirheumatic medication. Dr. Concoff added, "For clinicians, this study is a reminder that routine and consistent capture of a measure of disease activity as part of a treat-to-target strategy is vital to clearly identify whether a given patient is adequately treated on their current regimen."

A total of 66 independent rheumatology practices in United Rheumatology's physician network and 114 patients participated in the study.

About United Rheumatology: United Rheumatology represents over 660 community-based rheumatologists in 39 states. It does not own or operate rheumatology practices; the practices are all independent. A comprehensive portfolio of physician, patient, and health plan payer offerings, driven by the largest rheumatology electronic medical records clinical database in the US, supports an unparalleled platform for jointly developed coordinated care solutions.

Contact: Corrie Fisher
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE United Rheumatology