A growing understanding of how the immune system works and what goes awry in rheumatoid arthritis is helping scientists develop agents that interfere with or enhance certain steps of the process. Several of these agents – referred to a biologic response modifiers or biologics – are already on the market and dramatically improving the lives of many people for whom other RA therapies failed to control the disease.
• inhibit tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). , a protein that causes damaging inflammation. Although there are three TNF-α inhibitors already on the market , scientists hope to develop additional agents that will require less frequent injections or that can be taken orally.
• block interleukin-6 (IL-6), a protein that works with TNF-alpha to cause inflammation
• block interleukin-15 (IL-15), a protein that attaches to receptors on cells to activate inflammatory process in the joint lining
• reduce the number of inflammation-causing immune system cells called B cells. One such agent, ribuximab (Rituxan), is already approved for RA.
Researchers are also investigating the effectiveness of drugs already approved for other illnesses, such tacrolimus (Prograf), a drug developed and approved for preventing organ rejection in people who have received liver or kidney transplants; cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins; and a class of medications called bisphosphonates, used to slow bone loss in osteoporosis.
You may learn about new or potential drugs on the news, in publications such as Arthritis Today or read reports on the Internet. When you hear about a drug that has just been approved by the FDA, ask your doctor or other health professional if it is a potential treatment.
