ZRA Vaccine Appears Safe for Patients With RA

The new zoster vaccine recombinant, adjuvanted (ZRA), appears safe and effective for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to research that will be presented at the 2019 Annual European Congress of Rheumatology.

Previous research has shown ZRA to have 90% efficacy compared with the live zoster vaccine among individuals who receive immunosuppressive therapy. Whether the potency of ZRA induces flares of underlying disease and increases adverse effects has remained unknown.

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To investigate this, the researchers evaluated 300 individuals with RA (n=207) or other systemic rheumatic disease (n=93) who were seen at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston between February 1, 2018, and January 20, 2019, and who received ZRA. There was a mean follow-up of 12.5 weeks, ranging from 1 to 40 weeks, following administration.

Overall, there was a 3.00% incidence of flare following the first ZRA dose and a 2.86% incidence following the second dose, with 1 participant having a flare after both the first and second dose. All flares were mild and self-limited; individuals responded well to treatment with low-dose glucocorticoids for the flares.

All reported adverse effects were mild in nature. A total of 46 participants experienced adverse effects; 15.4% occurred after the first dose and 8.59% occurred after the second dose. Five participants experienced adverse effects after both doses.

No cases of zoster were reported.

“Larger formal studies with longer term follow up are required to confirm our findings,” the study authors concluded. 

—Colleen Murphy

Reference:

Stevens E, Weinblatt ME, Massarotti E, Griffin F, Desai S. Safety of the zoster recombinant adjuvanted vaccine in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a single center’s experience with 300 patients [EULAR FRI0068]. Ann Rheum Dis. 2019;78(suppl 2):A695. http://scientific.sparx-ip.net/archiveeular/?searchfor=FRI0068&view=1&c=a&item=2019FRI0068. Accessed June 4, 2019.