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Real-World Upadacitinib Persistence and Clinical Outcomes Among Canadian Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis from a
Janet E Pope1,2, Jayeshkumar Patel3, Christopher D Saffore3
1Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada. janet.pope@sjhc.london.on.ca.
Rheumatology and Therapy
|May 23, 2026
Summary
Canadian patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) showed high medication persistence and improved physical function in a patient support program. The study highlights the program
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology and immunology
- Pharmacoeconomics and patient support programs
- Clinical trial analysis
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) significantly affect patient quality of life.
- Medication persistence is crucial for the long-term efficacy of treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases.
- Evaluating patient support programs (PSPs) is essential for optimizing treatment outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess medication persistence, physical function, and patient satisfaction with the AbbVie Care PSP.
- To analyze outcomes for Canadian patients with RA, PsA, and axSpA treated with upadacitinib.
- To understand the real-world effectiveness of a patient support program in managing chronic inflammatory conditions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of adult patients with RA, PsA, or axSpA enrolled in the Canadian AbbVie Care PSP (January 2020 - July 2025).
- Assessment of demographic data, first prescription fill rates, medication persistence, and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) scores.
- Patient satisfaction with the PSP was evaluated in a subset of RA patients.
Main Results:
- Over 90% of patients filled their first upadacitinib prescription within 7 days.
- Long-term medication persistence rates at 12-48 months ranged from 51% to 73% across RA, PsA, and axSpA cohorts.
- Significant improvements in physical function were observed, with mean HAQ-DI reductions of -0.40 in RA and -0.65 in PsA patients, and a high percentage achieving minimal clinically important differences.
- Nearly 90% of surveyed RA patients reported high satisfaction with the PSP.
Conclusions:
- The AbbVie Care PSP in Canada demonstrated high initial prescription uptake and sustained medication persistence for patients with RA, PsA, and axSpA.
- Enrollment in the PSP was associated with significant improvements in physical function for patients with these chronic inflammatory conditions.
- The findings underscore the value of patient support programs in enhancing treatment adherence and functional outcomes in rheumatologic diseases.
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