Rheumatologists should consider including such injections in combination with aggressive DMARD treatment as part of a treat to target strategy in patients with early RA, they concluded.
The CIMESTRA study was supported by a grant from the Danish Rheumatism Association. Novartis Healthcare Denmark A/S provided ciclosporin and placebo-ciclosporin and sponsored an independent good clinical practice monitor. Nycomed provided methotrexate, folic acid and calcium/vitamin D. Schering-Plough provided injectable betamethasone. Merck Sharp and Dohme provided alendronate. The authors had no individual disclosures to report.