After TNF antagonists and rituximab…here comes abatacept!

Since 2005, the CRI (Club Rhumatismes et Inflammation) has been issuing fact sheets designed to assist you in your everyday practice. These fact sheets reflect a comprehensive view developed by experts who examined the literature, unpublished data supplied by pharmaceutical companies, and numerous personal communications. For all the situations that are not discussed in the EU SPC (European Summary of Product Characteristics) and for which there is no general agreement, we tried to give you our opinion.

As with previous fact sheets, a colour code is used to differentiate material that is supported by evidence from the literature, official recommendations, and expert opinion.

Although the data on abatacept are not yet as substantial as those available for TNF antagonists and rituximab, we believe the time has come for a recapitulation of the main practical information.

A huge amount of energy has gone into developing these fact sheets, and we are deeply grateful to the contributors for their effort and expertise. This interactive document will be available on the CRI site (http://www.cri-net.com) and published in print form in a special issue of Joint Bone Spine to whose editorial board we are indebted for their invaluable cooperation.

Please feel free to provide feedback about these fact sheets. Your input will help us improve them when we conduct the update scheduled for 2010.

Avec l'aimable concours et l'autorisation de la Revue du Rhumatisme et de sa version en langue anglaise Joint Bone Spine

Xavier MARIETTE, Thao PHAM, Jean SIBILIA, who were the expert-panel coordinators

• Contents

  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

  1. Initiation of abatacept therapy and follow-up - June 2009
     • Initial pre-treatment assessment
     • Monitoring abatacept therapy
       
       
  2. Diseases: management of patients who have a past or present history of….? - June 2009
     • Bacterial or viral infections
     • Solid cancer or haematological malignancy
     • Cardiovascular disease
     • Acute infusion reactions: immediate or delayed reactions
     • Auto-immune disease
       
       
  3. Clinical situations: management in the event of… - June 2009
     • Pregnancy
     • Vaccination
     • Travel
     • Surgery
     • Drug-drug interactions
       
       
  4. Model letters for informing… - June 2009
     • The office-based rheumatologist
     • The primary-care physician
       
       
  5. Patient information documents - June 2009
     • Using abatacept in rheumatoid arthritis

Members of the CRI panel:
Dr Thao PHAM(1), Dr Pascal CLAUDEPIERRE(2), Dr Arnaud CONSTANTIN(3), Pr Bruno FAUTREL(4), Dr Laure GOSSEC(5), Dr Jacques-Éric GOTTENBERG(6), Pr Philippe GOUPILLE(7), Pr Éric HACHULLA(8), Dr Charles MASSON(9), Dr Jacques MOREL(10), Pr Alain SARAUX(11), Pr Thierry SCHAEVERBEKE(12), Pr Daniel WENDLING(13), Pr Xavier MARIETTE(14), Pr Jean SIBILIA(15). ont perçu des honoraires de l’agence KATANA Santé pour l’élaboration de ces fiches.

(1) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Conception, Marseille. (2) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Henri Mondor, Créteil. (3) Service de Rhumatologie, Hôpital Larrey, Toulouse. (4) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Pitié-Salpétrière, Paris. (5) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Cochin, Paris. (6) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Hautepierre, Strasbourg. (7) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Trousseau, Tours. (8) Service Médecine Interne, Hôpital Roger Salengro, Lille. (9) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Angers, Angers. (10) Service d’Immuno- Rhumatologie, CHU Lapeyronie, Montpellier. (11) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Cavale-Blanche, Brest. (12) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Pellegrin, Bordeaux. (13) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Jean Minjoz, Besançon. (14) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre. (15) Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Hautepierre, Strasbourg.