The study objective of Period 1 was to compare the safety and efficacy of upadacitinib 15 mg once daily (QD) to abatacept on a background of conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) for the treatment of signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD)-inadequate response or bDMARD-intolerant participants with moderately to severely active RA. The study objective of Period 2 is to evaluate the long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of upadacitinib 15 mg QD in participants with RA who had completed Period 1.

This is a Phase 3 multicenter study with 2 periods. Period 1 was a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, active-controlled period designed to compare the safety and efficacy of upadacitinib 15 mg and abatacept for the treatment of signs and symptoms of participants with moderately to severely active RA who had an inadequate response to or intolerance to bDMARD therapy and were currently on a stable dose of csDMARD(s) and had never received abatacept. Period 2 is an open-label, long-term extension study to evaluate the long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of upadacitinib 15 mg once a day (QD) in participants with RA who had completed Period 1.

Main Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for ≥ 3 months who also fulfill the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria for RA
• Participants have been treated for ≥ 3 months prior to the screening visit with ≥ 1 bDMARD therapy, but continue to exhibit active RA or had to discontinue due to intolerability or toxicity, irrespective of treatment duration and have never received abatacept prior to the first dose of study drug
• Participants have been receiving csDMARD therapy ≥ 3 months and on a stable dose for ≥ 4 weeks prior to the first dose of study drug. The following csDMARDs are allowed: methotrexate (MTX), sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, and leflunomide. A combination of up to two background csDMARDs is allowed except the combination of MTX and leflunomide
• Meets the following criteria: ≥ 6 swollen joints (based on 66 joint counts) and ≥ 6 tender joints (based on 68 joint counts) at Screening and Baseline Visits and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) ≥ 3 mg/L at Screening

Main Exclusion Criteria:

• Prior exposure to any Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor (including but not limited to upadacitinib, tofacitinib, baricitinib and filgotinib)
• Prior exposure to abatacept
• History of any arthritis with onset prior to age 17 years or current diagnosis of inflammatory joint disease other than RA. Current diagnosis of secondary Sjogren's Syndrome is permitted
• Laboratory values meeting the following criteria within the Screening period prior to the first dose of study drug: serum aspartate transaminase > 2 × upper limit of normal (ULN); serum alanine transaminase > 2 × ULN; estimated glomerular filtration rate by simplified 4-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula < 40 mL/minute/1.73 meter (m)^2; total white blood cell count < 2,500/ μL; absolute neutrophil count < 1,500/μL; platelet count < 100,000/μL; absolute lymphocyte count < 800/μL; and hemoglobin < 10 g/dL

AbbVie is committed to responsible data sharing regarding the clinical trials we sponsor. This includes access to anonymized, individual and trial-level data (analysis data sets), as well as other information (e.g., protocols and clinical study reports), as long as the trials are not part of an ongoing or planned regulatory submission. This includes requests for clinical trial data for unlicensed products and indications.

Data requests can be submitted at any time and the data will be accessible for 12 months, with possible extensions considered.

Access to this clinical trial data can be requested by any qualified researchers who engage in rigorous, independent scientific research, and will be provided following review and approval of a research proposal and Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP) and execution of a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA). For more information on the process, or to submit a request, visit the following link.