Researchers from King's College London have discovered that the drug abatacept can delay the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in high-risk individuals by up to four years after treatment ends. The findings, published in the Lancet Rheumatology, build on a 2024 study that showed the drug effectively prevented RA onset during the one-year treatment period.
Abatacept works by targeting the cause of inflammation in RA, an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks healthy tissue, causing joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. The researchers tracked participants from the earlier study for an additional four to eight years, finding that those who received abatacept took significantly longer to develop RA compared to those given a placebo.
Lead author Professor Andrew Cope of King's College London said: “Intervening early in people at high risk of RA can have lasting benefits. We have shown that this approach is safe and can prevent disease while patients are on treatment as well as substantially relieve symptoms. Importantly, it can also delay the onset of RA for several years, even after treatment has stopped.”
While the treatment did not permanently prevent RA, the study suggests it can postpone disease development, potentially reducing the time people live with symptoms and complications. Deborah Alsina, chief executive of Arthritis UK, welcomed the findings, emphasising the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to improve quality of life for the approximately 400,000 people aged 16 and over in the UK affected by RA.
