I was reading an article in the newspaper about autoimmune diseases and came across info on some new medicines that were being used to treat RA and Chron's and since I know there are some AP-ers with these diseases I wanted to share this with you. I was particularly moved by a story about a woman with RA.

In 2000, the woman enrolled in a clinical trial of a promising new therapy: Humira, a molecular "smart bomb" called a monoclonal antibody, which blocks inflammation. Within 18 hours of her first injection she felt a difference. Three years later, with bi-weekly injections, she works as a labor-and-delivery nurse and goes hiking! She no longer has inflammation and pain.

Humira, which won FDA approval earlier this year, is the latest in a new group of treatments that target specific proteins involved in the inflammation, reducing pain and swelling and helping to prevent further damage.

Unexpectantly, some biologicals developed for one autoimmune disorder have proved effective in treating others. Enbrel, another rheumatoid arthritis biological, is now used to treat Chron's disease and vasculitis. Remicade, initially approved for Chron's, helps treat rheumatoid arthritis. In trials, Antegren, the first in a new class of biologicals called SAM (selective adhesion molecule) inhibitors, has reduced relapses and improved the quality of life for patients with MS and Crohn's.


While I know it is up to your doctors to determine what treatment will work best for you I thought you might find it helpful to know about these drugs and to know that for the first time medical science may be able to offer patients who have autoimmune diseases the possibility of a cure!

I have a family member who has a severe case of RA. Do you have any idea or know where to look for information about this treatment? I would be very interested in knowing if there are any side effects or drug interactions. He takes so much medicine already for high blood pressure, diabetes, DVT, and chronic depression.

Angela, this article further stated to contact the Department of Health and Human Services because this year they have issued a comprehensive research plan to fight autoimmune disorders. Also, The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association has further information as well.


Here are the links to the websites. You might want to use these to contact them.
Department of Health & Human Services
American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association

Hey, georgia, nice post. I have been taking Enbrel for about 2 years now, I think, seems to work okay for me, however the doctors are trying to get the dose approved for an increase, doubling it.
I told my doctor that I was concerned that my insurance would change and that it would no longer cover Enbrel..it's a twice weekly dose @ $1, 279.74 a month, and that's when he told me about Humira, more effective at a lower cost to insurance agencies.Remicade has been on the market for RA for quite some time, it's a 24 hour drip done at the hospital, once a month for 2 or three months, then once every 2 months, I think..can't remember for sure.
Almost all of the drugs that are currently used for RA were developed for other disease, Enbrel I think was the first one developed specifically for RA.
I haven't heard of Antegren, but I will ask him, my RA doc, about it at my next visit.
There is another treatment that I posted about in another thread called B-cell depletion therapy, still in the test stages, that sounds as if, someday it could really be a cure. But for now, the possible side affects are too risky an severe for me to even consider.

Thanks for the compliment LVLF. I'm glad to hear you have had some success with Enbrel and had no idea it was that expensive!

And if I understood the article I quoted from, Antegren is not used to treat patients with RA but used for MS patients and those suffering from Chron's. So perhaps that is why your doctor has never mentioned that treatment to you.

I hope you can continue to manage your RA. I know how debilitating it can be.

My SIL has Chrones. I'm going to email a link to this thread to her.

That's great Mx2. How wonderful it would be if this information helped someone to feel better!

any word on possible side effects?

with remicade, there is a law suit in the works because the manufacturer didnt bother to tell anyone that you could die from it.

no one told me that plaquinal can cause hearing loss, i had to find that out the hard way, and am now on my way to being deaf.

there is another r.a. drug (i dont remember what its called... its in the arthritis societies drug pamphlet that you can get for free) that a possible side effect is lukemia!

seems that for many of these treatments, the side effects arent worth it.

Oh that's terrible Maddy! No, there was no mention of side effects in the article. It was written as a ray of hope for sufferers. I guess it was being left to the doctors to lend a word of caution to those asking about these treatments. Thanks for posting your information.