Long-term results of the FIN-RACo trial; treatment with a combination of traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs is an excellent option in early rheumatoid arthritis

摘要

The Finnish Rheumatoid Arthritis Combination Therapy Trial (FIN-RACo) started in 1993, in an era of disappointing results in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The FIN-RACo was the first trial aiming at remission and comparing two different treatment strategies: initially triple therapy with compulsory prednisolone (FIN-RACo strategy), or monotherapy with optional prednisolone (SINGLE strategy). The results at 2, 5 and at 11 years are in favour of the initial FIN-RACo strategy without an increase in adversities. Nevertheless, with targeted treatment, even the SINGLE strategy group patients show low disease activity and moderate radiographic progression.