Objective: To report early experience of switching anti-tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-alpha) therapy from infliximab to etanercept in patients with spondyloarthropathy (SpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Methods: Thirteen patients with various SpA (7 with ankylosing spondylitis and 6 with undifferentiated SpA) and 2 patients with PsA were receiving infliximab. Because they were experiencing inadequate response or adverse events, therapy was changed to etanercept. Patients were evaluated for response to the change in anti-TNF-alpha therapy at baseline, after 3 months, and then every 6 months.
Results: During the mean 10-month followup after the change in therapy, 9 of 13 patients with SpA and both patients with PsA responded to etanercept and none experienced intolerance to this agent.
Conclusion: These data suggest that switching between anti-TNF-alpha drugs may be useful for patients with SpA who are unresponsive or intolerant to a first anti-TNF-alpha agent.