Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Prospective Randomized, Open, Multi-Center Trial Comparing TNF-Blockade + MTX to MTX+SSZ+HCQ in Patients With Early RA With an Inadequate Response to MTX
Brief Summary: The Swefot trial was designed to compare two treatment strategies for patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (less than 1 year symptom duration): the use of a combination of traditional antirheumatic medications (DMARDs), versus a combination including a newer "biological" anti-TNF medication. In order to make this trial consistent with current practices in rheumatology, all patients were first given the most commonly used antirheumatic medication, methotrexate (MTX). After 3-4 months those patients who had not responded adequately to this treatment were randomized to receive either MTX plus sulfasalazine plus hydroxychloroquine, or MTX plus infliximab. Again, to be truly life-like, the trial allowed patients who could not tolerate one of the added medications to switch in treatment - but keeping with the same strategy - so that sulfasalazine plus hydroxychloroquine could be replaced by cyclosporin A, and infliximab by etanercept. The primary outcome in this trial was the percentage of patients who, after one year of treatment, achieved a "good response" as defined by Eular.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Adult patients, ≥ 18 to \< 65 years of age
* Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) of \> 6 months duration at baseline (American College of Rheumatology criteria)
* Willing to receive immunization with pneumococcal polysaccharide and tetanus toxoid adsorbed vaccines
* Previous immunization with pneumococcal polysaccharide must have occurred ≥ 3 years of baseline, with tetanus containing vaccine ≥ 5 years
* Methotrexate therapy for at least 8 weeks prior to baseline at stable dose of 7.5-25 mg/week (oral or parenteral)
* Other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) must be withdrawn before baseline
* Oral corticosteroids must be at stable dose of \< 10 mg/day prednisone or equivalent
* Body weight ≤ 150 kg at screening

Exclusion Criteria:

* Major surgery (including joint surgery) within 12 weeks prior to baseline or planned major surgery within 8 weeks after baseline
* History of or current inflammatory joint disease or rheumatic autoimmune disease other than RA
* Pre-existing central nervous system demyelinating or seizure disorders
* Active current or history of recurrent bacterial, viral fungal, mycobacterial and other infections
* Any major episode of infection requiring hospitalization or treatment with intravenous antibiotics within 4 weeks prior to baseline or oral antibiotics within 2 weeks prior to baseline
* Active tuberculosis requiring treatment within 3 years prior to baseline
* Primary or secondary immunodeficiency (history or currently active)
* Intra-articular or parenteral corticosteroids within 4 weeks prior to baseline
* Previous treatment with RoActemra/Actemra
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* RA, symptom duration \< 12 months

Exclusion Criteria:

* Contraindication to any of the trial medications
C: 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
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis
* RA with a disease duration \> 6 months
* Current and prior but continuous etanercept (50 mg weekly) treatment for at least 5 months prior to screening
* Subjects must be receiving methotrexate (MTX) at a stable dose \> 15 mg/week at least 4 weeks prior to screening
* Sub-optimal response to etanercept defined by the presence of the following criteria (based on 28 joint count) at screening: 5 or more swollen joints and 5 or more tender joints
* Subjects who are currently receiving oral corticosteroids must be on a dose equivalent to prednisone less than or equal to 10 mg/day at screening
* Subjects who are currently receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), must be on a stable dose for at least 2 weeks prior to screening
* Subjects who are currently receiving DMARD therapy (including sulfasalazine, hydroxy-chloroquine and leflunomide), must be on a stable dose for at least 4 weeks prior to screening

Exclusion Criteria:

* Nursing mothers, female subjects planning on becoming pregnant, or male subjects planning a pregnancy with their spouse/partner while in the study
* ACR functional class IV
* Receipt of any investigational drug or biologic within 4 weeks of study drug initiation
* Concurrent or history of psychiatric disease that would interfere with ability to comply with study protocol or give informed consent
* History of alcohol or drug abuse within 12 months of screening visit
* Severe comorbidities including: History of cancer (other than resected cutaneous basal and squamous cell carcinoma, and in situ cervical cancer) within 5 years of screening visit. Documentation of disease-free state since treatment required; Diagnosis of Class III or IV congestive heart failure (CHF) or myocardial infarction (MI) within 12 months of screening; Unstable or stable angina pectoris; Uncontrolled hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure measurement of greater than 180 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure of greater than 110 mm Hg); Oxygen-dependent pulmonary disease; Known HIV-positive status or other immunodeficiency syndromes; Chronic hepatitis B (HbsAg) or C (HCV); Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); CNS demyelinating events suggestive of multiple sclerosis; Presence of active infection or any underlying diseases that could predispose subjects to infection (e.g., history of recurrent infections, non-healing leg ulcers, advanced or poorly controlled diabetes); Active or prior history of tuberculosis (or known exposure).
* Concurrent treatment with cyclophosphamide

Answer: B