A Phase III Study of Abatacept in Japanese Subjects With Rheumatoid Arthritis

A Phase III, Multi-center, Open-label, Uncontrolled, Long-term Study to Evaluate the Safety of Abatacept (BMS-188667) in Japanese Subjects With Rheumatoid Arthritis Having Completed Clinical Studies IM101-071, IM101-034, and Also Special DMARD Failures

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the safety of chronic use of abatacept in Japanese Subjects with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) having completed clinical studies IM101-071, IM101-034, and also Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) failures with MTX intolerance.

Inclusion Criteria

• The participants who completed the 169 days, full study period of Phase II (IM101-071) and were not administered other biologics between completion of IM101-071 and registration of this long-term study.
• The participants of the Phase I study (IM101-034), who received abatacept, except participants who were withdrawn from the study due to safety problems related to abatacept.
• New subjects with MTX intolerance: rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to whom MTX cannot be administered for safety reasons and who present an inadequate response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs;excluding MTX) or biologics (new subjects with MTX intolerance: RA patients who present an inadequate response to DMARDs).

Exclusion Criteria

• Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) who were unwilling or unable to use an acceptable method of contraception.
• Participants who have received non approved or investigational biologics (other than abatacept from previous or ongoing studies in Japan) at registration.
• Participants who have received treatment with any investigational drug within 56 days before registration or five half-lives (whichever is the longest).
• Participants currently receiving treatment with leflunomide, mycophenolate mofetil, calcineurine inhibitors such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus, D-Penicillamine, Cyclophosphamide, or immunoadsorption columns.
• The participants who completed Phase II (IM101-071) are not applicable in the following instances at time of registration: with active vasculitis, symptoms of severe, progressive, or uncontrolled renal, hepatic, hematological, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, cardiac, neurological, or cerebral disease, breast cancer, or a history of cancer within the last 5 years, evidence of active or latent bacterial , viral infections, any serious or chronic, at risk of tuberculosis (TB), with any opportunistic infections, laboratory values of hemoglobin < 8.5 g/dL, white blood cells (WBC) < 3,000/mm^3, Platelets < 100,000/mm^3, Serum creatinine > 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN), Serum alanine transaminase or aspartate aminotransferase > 2 times ULN.