Several abstracts on gout reveal true burden of disease and highlight promising new treatments

A pan-European study of 755 gout patients found that prevalence of self-reported gout was highest in the UK (2.2%) and lowest in France (0.76%). French, German and British gout patients all had lower quality of life scores, and had significant work and social impairment compared to controls (p 2 years). Conclusions from an analysis of these responder patients suggests that subjects who have normalised their sUA after six months on pegloticase (8 mg every 2 weeks) may be able to experience a gap in therapy for as long as 167 days without losing subsequent responsiveness to treatment.

The analysis of data from a 26-week randomised controlled trial (RCT), followed by a 30-month open-label extension (OLE) showed that 90% of these responder patients had complete resolution of tophi at 50 weeks. There were clinically relevant significant reductions in the number of gout flares, tender and swollen joints and improvements in patient-reported outcomes, including pain, physical function and quality of life. There were no remarkable safety concerns with these persistent responders.

Abstract Number: OP0113

Lesinurad and allopurinol combination more effective than allopurinol alone

Researchers from Western and Eastern Europe, Canada, Spain and the USA studied the efficacy and safety of combination treatment with lesinurad and allopurinol in 208 allopurinol-refractory gout patients and found in an intent-to-treat analysis that up to 79% of patients receiving the combination responded to treatment (sUA END