Withdrawal Versus Continued TNF Inhibitor Monotherapy Treatment in Children With Inactive Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who have had inactive disease for a long time can safely discontinue treatment with a tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNF-inhibitor) monotherapy. The trial compares TNFi withdrawal with continued treatment at a stable dose. The main question it aims to answer is whether TNF-inhibitor withdrawal increases the risk of disease flare during 12 months of follow-up compared with continued treatment. The trial will also assess time to flare, time to regain inactive disease after a flare, changes in disease activity, and the overall safety of both treatment strategies during the same period. Ninety patients aged 2 to 17 years with non-systemic JIA will take part. All of them will have had inactive disease for at least 12 months while on TNF-inhibitor monotherapy with adalimumab, etanercept or golimumab. Participants will be randomly assigned either to continue their current TNF-inhibitor treatment at a stable dose or to TNF-inhibitor withdrawal. They will be followed for 12 months at three hospitals in Norway, with regular visits where disease activity is assessed through joint examination and the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS-27), and where side effects and other health problems are recorded. A flare is defined as a clinically significant increase in disease activity together with at least one active joint, or as agreement between the treating physician and the participant or parents that a flare has occurred.