Teriparatide for Joint Erosions in Rheumatoid Arthritis: The TERA Trial

Completed · Phase 4

Conditions studied: Rheumatoid Arthritis

In brief

Summary: The investigators propose a randomized controlled open label study of teriparatide in men or women with rheumatoid arthritis and joint erosions. Specifically, the investigators will examine whether teriparatide in combination with a biologic can retard the development of joint erosions. The study will be conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital Arthritis Center, several Brigham and Women's Hospital Arthritis Center satellite practices, the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize that the combination of teriparatide with biologic will be much more effective at retarding erosion progression then a biologic alone.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01400516

Run by

Brigham and Women's Hospital

People needed

26

Starts

2011-08-01

Expected to finish

2016-07-28

Last updated by the study team

2017-04-11

Who can join

Age: 45 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• All men and women 45 years of age or older with RA and joint erosions by plain x-ray who are taking a biologic for at least three months and who have not taken more than two weeks of a bone active agent in the last 12 months will be eligible and screened for their interest in participating in the proposed randomized trial.
• RA will be defined according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism diagnostic and classification criteria.
• Osteopenic bone mineral density will be defined as a t-score between -1.0 and -2.5 on either a DXA of the posteroanterior (PA) or lateral lumbar spine or the femoral neck or total hip. Potential subjects with prior minimal trauma fractures will be excluded.
• Subjects must be able to give written informed consent.

You may not qualify if…

• A switch in DMARD in the last 3 months;
• Current use of chronic oral glucocorticoids > 5 milligrams per day;
• A prior history of intolerance to teriparatide;
• T-score < -2.5 or a prior minimal trauma fracture;
• Use of a bone active agent for over 2 weeks in the last 12 months (these agents include oral and intravenous bisphosphonates, hormone replacement therapy, calcitonin, raloxifene, teriparatide, suppressive doses of thyroxine, lithium, pharmacological doses of vitamin D (greater than 2000 IU/day or anticonvulsants);
• History of significant cardiac, hepatic, current alcohol abuse, or major psychiatric disorders;
• Evidence of active malignant disease, malignancies diagnosed within the previous 10 years (including hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, except basal cell carcinoma of the skin that has been excised and cured), or breast cancer diagnosed within the previous 20 years;
• No current diagnoses of disorders known to affect bone metabolism including hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, osteomalacia, or Paget's disease. All participants will be required to have normal serum levels of 25-OH vitamin D (> 20 ng/ml), intact PTH, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). If PTH and/or 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH D) levels are abnormal, subjects may be given calcium and/or multivitamin supplements and be re-tested in 2-12 weeks;
• Serum calcium (Ca) > 10.6 mg/dl,and 24-hour urine calcium > 400 mg. If minor abnormalities are detected in any of these parameters, the test may be repeated;
• Patients who have had external beam radiation; and
• Patients currently on digoxin.
• Women that are currently pregnant or breast-feeding or plan on becoming pregnant over the course of participation in the study

Where it is running

• Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• University of Massachusetts Medical School — Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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