Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT04891640

Biologic Abatement and Capturing Kids' Outcomes and Flare Frequency in Juvenile Spondyloarthritis

This randomized pragmatic trial will generate knowledge about strategies used to de-escalate tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) therapy in patients with juvenile spondyloarthritis with sustained inactive disease and are treated at one of the 29 participating pediatric healthcare systems. This open label study will be conducted in the setting of routine clinical care and will compare the risk and timing of flare (Aim 1) and patients' lived experiences (Aim 2) across three arms.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Juvenile Spondyloarthritis

Age range

8 year–21 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Loading trial locations.

About this study

This project is a prospective, 12-month pragmatic randomized trial embedded within routine clinical care. Children with spondyloarthritis who have maintained inactive disease on a clinically prescribed standard dosing of a TNFi for 6 months or longer will be eligible for enrollment. Children will be randomized to one of the following alternative approaches: continued fixed standard dosing (arm 1), fixed longer dosing intervals of TNFi (arm 2), or stopping TNFi (arm 3). The recommended visit frequency is every 3 months through the study endpoint at 12 months. After subjects have followed their treatment assignment for 12 months, those who have not flared may modify their treatment regimen as per shared decision making between themselves and the treating physician. All participants will be monitored for 24 additional months for long-term outcomes after the intervention period.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Males or females age 8 to 21 years
  • Juvenile SpA diagnosis (symptom onset before their 16th birthday):

Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization (PRINTO) revision of the The International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria enthesitis/spondylitis-related Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)

  • Peripheral arthritis and enthesitis, or
  • Arthritis or enthesitis, plus ≥ 3 months of inflammatory back pain and sacroiliitis on imaging, or
  • Arthritis or enthesitis plus 2 of the following: (1) sacroiliac joint tenderness; (2) inflammatory back pain; (3) presence of Human leukocyte antigen (HLA-B27) ; (4) acute (symptomatic) anterior uveitis; and (5) history of a SpA in a first-degree relative
  • Currently taking one of the following TNFi therapies (Adalimumab, Certolizumab, Etanercept, Golimumab, Infliximab) at standard doses and dosing intervals
  • Have reached a clinically inactive disease state for a minimum of six months, as determined by treating physician
  • English speaking or Spanish speaking
  • Interested and willing to de-escalate TNFi therapy

Exclusion criteria

  • History of inflammatory bowel disease, history of uveitis that was not adequately controlled with localized ophthalmic treatment or psoriasis that pre-dates the start of TNFi therapy or psoriasis that started after TNFi therapy and has required more than topical therapy for control

Treatment and study plan

Standard TNFi Therapy

Other

Participants randomly assigned to this arm will continue taking their TNFi medication as currently prescribed.

TNFi fixed longer dosing intervals

Other

Participants randomly assigned to this arm will increase the time between TNFi medication doses.

  • Adalimumab- from every 2 to 3 weeks
  • Certolizumab- from every 2 to 4 weeks
  • Etanercept- from every 1 to 2 weeks
  • Golimumab- from every 4 to 6 weeks
  • Infliximab- from baseline to baseline + 2 weeks

Stop TNFi treatment

Other

Participants randomly assigned to this arm will stop TNFi medication.

Primary outcomes

  1. Juvenile Spondyloarthritis (JSpA) flare

    Time frame: 12 months

    JSpA flare is defined as clinically meaningful worsening in ≥3 of the following: caregiver/patient assessment of well-being, physician assessment of disease activity, caregiver/patient assessment of pain, physical function, and active joint count. Meaningful change for well-being, disease activity, and pain are an increase of ≥2 on visual analogue scale (range 0-10 with higher scores indicating poorer well-being, higher disease activity, and higher magnitude of pain). Meaningful change in function is defined as ≥3 unit change in the PROMIS mobility or upper extremity T-scores. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) short forms include 8 questions and a T-score of '50' represents the healthy population mean score with standard deviation of 10. Active joint count is defined as the number of joints with swelling or, in the absence of swelling, limitation of motion accompanied by pain or warmth as per the physician examination.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Pain interference (as measured by the PROMIS short form)

    Time frame: 12 months

    Pain interference (as measured by the PROMIS short form) of children with spondyloarthritis in the three treatment arms. The PROMIS short form is a validated questionnaire that measures the self-reported consequences of pain on relevant aspects of a person's life.The PROMIS short form includes 8 questions and a T-score of '50' represents the healthy population mean score with standard deviation equal to 10.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Other

Collaborators

  • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Registry information

Official study title

Biologic Abatement and Capturing Kids' Outcomes and Flare Frequency in Juvenile Spondyloarthritis (BACK-OFF JSpA)

Acronym: BACK-OFF JSpA

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
May 18, 2021
Registry last updated
Aug 5, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.