NEWS - FDA approves Simponi (golimumab) for RA, PsA, and AS

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FDA OKs Simponi for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Drug Is Approved to Treat RA, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Ankylosing Spondylitis

By W. , MD

WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD

April 24, 2009 -- The FDA has approved Simponi (golimumab), a monthly

treatment for adults with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis,

psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.

All three conditions are chronic disorders in which the immune system

attacks multiple joints, causing stiffness, pain, and restricted

motion.

" Today's approval provides another treatment option for patients with

these three debilitating disorders, " says Bob Rappaport, MD, director

of the division of anesthesia, analgesia, and rheumatology products in

the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a news release.

" And the steps we're taking to minimize the risks will give patients

the same level of safety protection required for other drugs in its

class. "

Simponi is injected under the skin. It is intended for use in

combination with the immune-suppressing drug methotrexate in patients

with rheumatoid arthritis. It also may be used with or without

methotrexate for psoriatic arthritis and alone in patients with

ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory arthritis of the spine.

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Read the full article here:

http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20090424/fda-oks-simponi-for-rheu\

matoid-arthritis

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