FRI0193 Etanercept Dose Reduction in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis – A Pilot Study in South Wales

BackgroundIn the era of biologics,increasing numbers of patients achieve full remission.Although biological agents play an important role in reducing morbidity associated with long-term disease of rheumatoid arthritis (RA),they also present risks associated with side effects,increased risk of infection and a significant cost to the Healthcare Provider. There is an increasing body of evidence supporting dose reduction in RA patients1 and, recently, European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) updated their recommendations for the management of RA suggesting biologic dose reduction in stable patients2.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Etanercept dose reduction on our symptom-stable RA patients. We wished to examine whether patients were receptive to the idea,what their preferred delivery timescales/dose would be and the outcome to the individual.MethodsSuitable RA patients (on Etanercept for >1 year with 2 consecutive Disease Activity Score (DAS)