In a study conducted by researchers at the University of Muenster in Germany, long-term treatment of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) that has gone into remission with the drug methotrexate was found not to reduce relapse rates.

Three hundred sixty-four patients were involved in the study, with a median age of 11 years. The children represented 29 different countries. Patients were assigned to one of 2 groups after the beginning of disease remission; group 1 continued to take methotrexate for 6 months while group 2 took methotrexate for 12 months after remission. Disease remission was classified as the patient being temporarily free of persistent joint pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Patients from group 1 (6 months of methotrexate) had a median relapse-free time of 21 months, while group 2 patients (12 months of methotrexate) had a similar median result of 23 months of relapse-free time. Roughly 40% of the 297 patients who stopped methotrexate use while in remission had a JIA flare within a year.

After analyzing the results of the study, the researchers concluded that the use of methotrexate therapy in JIA patients is not recommended beyond 6 months after remission.