Pegloticase in combination with methotrexate may effectively stabilize the estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with uncontrolled gout, according to a report from MedPage Today. Experts explained that chronic kidney disease, characterized by lower levels of renal function, may lead to increased residual uric acid and gout-causing uric acid crystallization. In the new MIRROR trial—the findings of which will be presented by Abdellatif et al at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meeting 2023—researchers assigned 152 patients to receive either pegloticase and methotrexate or pegloticase and placebo and found that patients who received the combination therapy experienced improvements in their chronic kidney disease stage. At baseline, 43.1% and 46.6% of patients had stage III and stage II disease, respectively; whereas, after 52 weeks of follow-up, 34.5% and 55.2% of patients had stage II and stage II disease, respectively. The results represented a 10% reduction in the number of patients with the lowest levels of renal function. The researchers highlighted that 68% of the patients who received both agents were disease stable. Additionally, compared with 38.5% of those who received pegloticase and placebo, 71% of patients who received pegloticase and methotrexate achieved serum urate levels below 6 mg per dL. The researchers recommended that patients with uncontrolled gout should take 8 mg of intravenous pegloticase once every 2 weeks and 15 mg of oral methotrexate once every week. Individuals experiencing the condition were advised to speak with their physicians about the novel therapeutic combination.
May 01, 2023