Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Phase II, Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of MLTA3698A in Combination With a Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug (DMARD) Compared With Adalimumab in Combination With a DMARD in Patient With Active Rheumatoid Arthritis
Brief Summary: This is a Phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter study enrolling patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria

* Rheumatoid arthritis based on the American College of Rheumatology criteria
* Methotrexate or leflunomide naïve
* Disease duration less than or equal to 2 years from diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria

* History of acute inflammatory joint disease of different origin from rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, lymphoma, leukemia or lymphoproliferative disease, active TB, HIV
* Previously received anti-TNF therapy anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, CTLA4-Ig, anti-CD20 antibody, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, azathioprine, or tacrolimus
* Joint surgery involving joints to be assessed within 8 weeks prior to Screening
B: Inclusion Criteria

1. Male and female subjects aged ≥18 years at the time of signing the Informed Consent Form.
2. Patients with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis as per the ACR/EULAR 2010 classification criteria (Appendix 7) confirmed at least 24 weeks prior to the screening visit.
3. Patients who have failed conventional DMARD therapy as per NICE/BSR Guidelines (49) i.e. failure of at least 2 DMARDS including MTX.
4. Patients with persistent RA disease activity despite having been treated with a current initial TNFi agent for at least 12 weeks. Active RA defined as\*:

   1. Primary non-response: failing to improve DAS28 by \> 1.2 (Appendix 6) or failing to achieve DAS28 ≤ 3.2 within the first 12 to 24 weeks of starting the initial TNFi.

      • This may include patients that have shown a reduction in DAS28 of \> 1.2 but still demonstrate unacceptably high disease activity in the physician's judgement with evidence of an overall DAS28 of ≥ 3.2 OR
   2. Secondary non-response: defined as inefficacy to first TNFi (having demonstrated prior satisfactory response) as per clinician judgement; with intolerance not the reason for cessation of first TNFi.
5. MTX dose stable for 4 weeks prior to the screening visit and to be continued for the duration of the study.
6. Patients on NSAIDs and / or corticosteroids (oral prednisolone not exceeding 10mg daily) who have been on an unchanged regimen for at least 4 weeks prior to the screening visit and are expected to remain on a stable dose until the baseline assessments have been completed.
7. Provided written informed consent prior to any trial-specific procedures.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Major surgery (including joint surgery) within 8 weeks prior to the screening visit or planned major surgery within 52 weeks following randomization.
2. Patients with inflammatory joint disease of different origin, mixed connective tissue disease, Reiter's syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or any arthritis with onset prior to 16 years of age.
3. Patients receiving doses of prednisolone \> 10mg/day within the 4 weeks prior to the screening visit.
4. Patients receiving intra-articular or intra-muscular steroid injections within 4 weeks prior to the screening visit.
5. Patients who have previously received more than 1 TNFi drug OR any other biological therapy for the treatment of RA.
6. Patients unable or unwilling to stop treatment with a prohibited DMARD (i.e synthetic DMARD aside from MTX e.g. oral or injectable gold, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, cyclosporine, azathioprine, leflunomide, sulphasalazine) prior to the start of protocol treatment.
7. Treatment with any investigational drug in the last 12 weeks prior the start of protocol treatment.
8. Patients with other co-morbidity including acute, severe infections, uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, unstable ischaemic heart disease, moderate/severe heart failure (Class III/IV of the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification system (79)), active bowel disease, active peptic ulcer disease, recent stroke (within 12 weeks before the screening visit), or any other condition which, in the opinion of the investigator, would put the patient at risk to participate in the study or would make implementation of the protocol difficult.
9. Patients with any major episode of infection requiring hospitalisation or treatment with IV antibiotics within 12 weeks of start of treatment protocol or oral antibiotics within 4 weeks of start of protocol treatment.
10. Patients at significant risk of infection, which in the opinion of the investigator would put the patient at risk to participate in the study (e.g. leg ulceration, indwelling urinary catheter, septic joint within 52 weeks (or ever if prosthetic joint still in situ)).
11. Patients with known active current or history of recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, mycobacterial or other infections including herpes zoster (for tuberculosis and Hepatitis B and C see below), but excluding fungal infections of nail beds as per clinical judgment.
12. Patients with untreated active current or latent tuberculosis (TB). Patients should have been screened for latent TB (as per BSR guidelines) within 24 weeks prior to the screening visit and, if positive, treated following local practice guidelines prior to the start of protocol treatment.
13. Patients with active current hepatitis B and/or C infection. Patients should have been screened for hepatitis B and C within 24 weeks prior to the screening visit and if positive, excluded from the study.
14. Primary or secondary immunodeficiency (history of or currently active) unless related to primary disease under investigation.
15. Pregnancy, lactation or women of child-bearing potential (WCBP) unwilling to use an effective birth control measure (Appendix 2) whilst receiving treatment and after the last dose of protocol treatment as indicated in the relevant SmPC/IB.
16. Men whose partners are of child-bearing potential but who are unwilling to use an effective birth control measure (Appendix 2) whilst receiving treatment and after the last dose of protocol treatment as indicated in the relevant SmPC/IB.
17. Patients with known significantly impaired bone marrow function as for example significant anaemia, leukopaenia, neutropaenia or thrombocytopaenia as shown by the following laboratory values at the time of the screening visit:

    * Haemoglobin \< 8.5 g/dl
    * Platelet count \< 100 x 109 / L
    * White blood cell count \< 2.0 x 109 / L
    * Neutrophil count \< 1 x 109 / L
18. Patients with known severe hypoproteinaemia at the time of the screening visit, e.g. in nephrotic syndrome or impaired renal function, as shown by:

    * Serum Creatinine \> 150 umol / L
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Subject must have a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis based on the American College of Rheumatology Association
* The subject has active disease at both Screening and Baseline, as defined:

  * ≥4 joints tender or painful on motion, AND
  * ≥4 joints swollen;
* The subject must have at least one knee, one elbow, one wrist or two metacarpophalangeal joints with active synovitis suitable for biopsy by the shaver technique

Exclusion Criteria:

* No arthroscopy should have been performed in the past 3 months in the same joint that is to be biopsied in this study.
* No intra-articular steroids should have been injected in the joint to be biopsied in this study in the previous 3 months.
* Subjects with evidence of hematopoietic disorders or evidence of hemoglobin levels \< 9.0 gm/dL or hematocrit \< 30 % at screening visit or within the 3 months prior to baseline synovial biopsy.
* An absolute white blood cell (WBC) count of \< 3.0 x 109/L (\<3000/mm3) or absolute neutrophil count of \<1.2 X 109/L (\<1200/mm3) at screening visit or within the 3 months prior to baseline synovial biopsy.
* Thrombocytopenia, as defined by a platelet count \<100 x 109/L (\< 100,000/mm3) at screening visit or within the 3 months prior to baseline synovial biopsy.
* Estimated GFR less than 40 ml/min based on Cockcroft Gault calculation .
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of RA according to the 1987 revised ACR Criteria for the Classification of RA for at least 6 months prior to screening
* Positive for rheumatoid factor or anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody, or both
* Active disease, defined as: CRP \>= 1.0 mg/dL; swollen joint count \>= 6 (66 joint count); tender joint count \>= 6 (68 joint count)
* Previous inadequate clinical response to at least one disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) consisting of either methotrexate (MTX) or leflunomide (LFU)
* For patients currently receiving corticosteroids: Treatment at a stable dose during last 4 weeks prior to screening
* For patients currently receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Treatment at a stable dose during last 4 weeks prior to screening
* For patients currently receiving sulfasalazine or anti-malarials: Treatment initiated and continued for at least the last 6 months prior to screening and on a stable dose
* For patients of reproductive potential (males and females): Willing to use a highly effective birth control method for the duration of the study according to local guidelines

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnant, planning to become pregnant during the study, or breastfeeding
* Clinically significant abnormal laboratory values or abnormal ECG or vital signs
* History of anaphylactic reactions
* Rheumatic autoimmune disease other than RA, or significant systemic involvement secondary to RA (including but not limited to vasculitis, pulmonary fibrosis, or Felty's syndrome), however patients with secondary Sjogren's syndrome are eligible for the study
* History of or current inflammatory joint disease other than RA (e.g., gout, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, seronegative spondyloarthritis, Lyme disease) or other systemic autoimmune disorder (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease, scleroderma, inflammatory myopathy, mixed connective tissue disease, or other overlap syndrome)
* Current or recent (within 4 weeks prior to screening) infection, including signs, symptoms or serology of any infection, including HIV, hepatitis B or C, tuberculosis
* Administration of a live, attenuated vaccine within 1 month before dosing or anticipation that such a live attenuated vaccine will be required during the study
* Previous treatment with anti-TNF biologics or other biologic agents, including anti-CD20-directed therapy (e.g. rituximab), anti-IL6-directed therapy (e.g. tocilizumab), or T cell-directed therapy (e.g. abatacept)

Answer: D