Effects of upadacitinib or adalimumab on pain in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis: results from randomised phase 3 studies

INTRODUCTION: Patients with rheumatoid (RA) or psoriatic (PsA) arthritis can experience debilitating pain. METHODS: Post hoc analyses of phase 3, double-blind studies in patients with active disease despite treatment (SELECT-COMPARE, SELECT-PsA 1) assessed the effects of upadacitinib or adalimumab versus placebo on pain in patients with attenuation of inflammation (AoI) versus remaining inflammation at weeks 12 and 24/26 (PsA/RA). Further, a mediation analysis assessed the direct/indirect effect of treatment on pain using the Patient's Global Assessment of pain (PtGA) and 28 tender joint count (TJC28) at weeks 2/12/26 in RA, and weeks 16/24 in PsA. RESULTS: In patients with RA+AoI, PtGA scores improved more with upadacitinib (least squares mean change, -42.9) versus adalimumab (-34.7 (p