TIght COntrol of Psoriatic Arthritis

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether tight control of patients with newly diagnosed psoriatic arthritis (consisting of regular 4 weekly objective assessment of disease activity and protocol-led intensive treatment) can improve outcome as opposed to standard care (usually 3 monthly reviews with no objective outcome measures and no protocol for treatment). The principle hypothesis of this study is that tight control of inflammation in psoriatic arthritis using a treatment protocol and pre-defined objective targets for treatment will lead to an improvement in patients' disease activity and a reduction in radiological joint damage.

The TICOPA trial is designed as a randomised, controlled, parallel group, open label, multi-centre clinical trial of 206 patients with recent onset psoriatic arthritis. Patients will be randomised on a 1:1 basis to receive either standard care (12 weekly review) or tight control (4 weekly review) for a period of 48 weeks. The hypothesis is that tight control of inflammation will lead to a better outcome in terms of joint inflammation, joint damage, pain and quality of life for people with PsA. This imaging undertaken within the study will provide a further measure of joint inflammation and damage and will improve understanding of the relationships between inflammation, damage and bony proliferation in psoriatic arthritis.

Those subjects randomised to the tight control arm will be reviewed every 4 weeks (by the PI at each site or a designated researcher), and will be treated according to a rapidly escalating regime, involving standard DMARDs and biologics. Initial therapy will be with oral methotrexate, increasing in dose rapidly over the first 8 weeks of the study. From the 12 week visit onwards, escalation of therapy in this arm will be performed if subjects do not meet the objective target of Minimal Disease Activity. Initial escalation will be to combination DMARD therapy. If patients in the tight control arm fail to meet the MDA criteria and fulfil the NICE criteria for the use of TNF blockers in psoriatic arthritis at 24 weeks, then they will be offered treatment with these medications. Therapy will continue to be modified throughout the 48 week follow-up until a state of minimal disease activity is reached. The control group will be seen every 12 weeks in a general rheumatology clinic and will receive standard care, involving standard DMARDs and biologics as appropriate. Treatment will be prescribed as felt appropriate by the treating physicians with no set protocol and no restrictions.

All subjects will be treated and followed-up for 48 weeks from randomisation according to their treatment allocation and will have 12 weekly clinical disease assessments throughout this period by a fully trained, blinded assessor. This will include measures of disease activity in all of the five aspects of PsA (joint disease, skin disease, enthesitis, dactylitis and spinal disease).

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients with a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis by a consultant Rheumatologist with less than 24 months disease duration.
* Active disease defined by at least one tender or swollen joint or active enthesitis.
* Age ≥18 years at the time of signing the informed consent form and either male or female patients.
* Patient understands the objectives of the study and is able and willing to sign the Informed Consent Form.
* Men and women of child bearing potential (WCBP) must use at least one adequate birth control measure for the duration of the study and should continue such precautions for 6 months after receiving the last dose of protocol treatment.
* Adequate full blood count within 28 days before randomisation:

  * Haemoglobin count \> 8.5 g/dL
  * White blood count (WBC) \> 3.5 x 10\*9/L
  * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \> 1.5 x 10\*9/L
  * Platelet count \> 100 x 10\*9/L
* Adequate hepatobiliary function within 28 days before randomisation:

  \*ALT and/or AST levels must be within 3 times the upper limit of normal range (ULN) for the laboratory conducting the test.
* The patient must be able to adhere to the study visit schedule and other protocol requirements.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Previous treatment for articular disease with disease modifying drugs (DMARDs) including, but not limited to, methotrexate, sulfasalazine, leflunomide,
* Women who are pregnant, lactating or planning pregnancy within 6 months of their last dose of protocol treatment.
* Use of any investigational agents within 4 weeks or within 5 half-lives of the investigational agent, whichever is longer, prior to randomisation.