Functional MRI Brain Activation as a Predictor of Response to TNF Inhibition in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Insights from the PreCePra Phase 3 Study

Highlights

• The PreCePra phase 3 trial demonstrates that high CNS pain activation on fMRI predicts a better clinical response to TNF inhibition in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• Patients with high disease-associated brain activation had a significantly higher rate of achieving low disease activity after 12 weeks of certolizumab pegol treatment.
• This study provides a potential objective biomarker for guiding biologic therapy in RA, addressing the challenge of subjective response metrics.

Clinical Background and Disease Burden