An Effectiveness and Safety Study of Intravenous Golimumab in Patients With Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Despite Treatment With Methotrexate Therapy

A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial of Golimumab, an Anti-TNFalpha Monoclonal Antibody, Administered Intravenously, in Patients With Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Despite Methotrexate Therapy

The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical effectiveness and safety of golimumab with methotrexate (MTX) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when compared to MTX alone.

This is a randomized (study medication is assigned by chance), double-blind (neither physician nor participants knows the treatment that the participant receives), placebo-controlled (an inactive substance is compared with a medication to test whether the medication has a real effect in a clinical study), multicenter, 2-arm (2 groups) study of golimumab in participants with active RA despite concurrent MTX therapy. Approximately 564 participants will be randomly allocated to 1 of 2 treatment groups in a 2:1 ratio ie, Group 1(approximately 376 participants will receive golimumab + MTX) and Group 2 (approximately 188 participants will receive MTX + placebo). Total duration of study for each participant is 112 weeks. Safety will be evaluated by assessment of adverse events, tuberculosis testing and blood testing.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for at least 3 months prior to screening
• Have been treated with and tolerated methotrexate (MTX) at a dose of at least 15 mg/week for at least 3 months prior to screening, and have been on a stable MTX dose of 15 mg/week to 25 mg/week for at least 4 weeks prior to screening
• Have an active RA, as defined by disease activity with at least 6 swollen and 6 tender joints, at the time of screening and at baseline
• C-Reactive Protein greater than or equal to 1.0 mg/dL at screening
• No history of latent or active tuberculosis prior to screening

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other inflammatory diseases, including but not limited to psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or lyme disease
• Treated with disease modifying agents (other than methotrexate)/systemic immunosuppressives (eg, D-penicillamine, hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, oral or parenteral gold, sulfasalazine, leflunomide, azathioprine, cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil) during the 4 weeks prior to first administration of study agent
• Received intra-articular (in the joint), intramuscular (in the muscle), or intravenous corticosteroids, including adrenocorticotropic hormone, during the 4 weeks prior to first administration of study agent
• Known allergy to human immunoglobulin proteins or other components of golimumab
• Received any commercial or investigational anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy such as but not exclusively infliximab, golimumab, adalimumab or etanercept