This is the question a trial beginning in the UK hopes to answer.

The randomised controlled study will test the hypothesis that the onset of arthritis in an ‘at risk’ group can be prevented or delayed by a biologic.

To be included in the Arthritis Prevention In the Pre-clinical Phase of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Abatacept (APIPPRA) patients will have joint pain (but no swelling) and be RF and ACPA positive.

They will be randomised to receive weekly injections of 125 mg/ml of abatacept or placebo, starting from baseline for a period of 52 weeks.

The primary outcome measure is time to development of clinical synovitis or RA and the secondary outcome measure the development of RA according to the ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria.

The trial is being led by Professor Andrew Cope from the NIHR Guy’s and St Thomas’ Biomedical Research Centre at King’s College London.

For more details on the trial click here.