RESEARCH - Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) can benefit RA patients with long-standing disease

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Anti-TNF Biologic Cimzia Treatment Can Benefit RA Patients With

Long-standing Disease And Exposure To Multiple Previous Therapies

Including Biologics

MedicalNewsToday.com

Article Date: 09 Nov 2010 - 11:00 PST

New drugs for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are usually tested in clinical

trials where patients are recently diagnosed and have not been treated

with medications other than the standard therapy. Whether patients

with long-standing disease or who have failed to respond to a range of

treatments will benefit is often unknown. Lack of evidence of a drug's

efficacy in this situation, coupled with the expense in the case of

some new agents, can make doctors unwilling to try them. This is

especially the case if patients have not responded well to other

disease-modifying treatments in the past.

Now a new study presented at the 2010 American College of Rheumatology

meeting in Atlanta, USA, has shown that people with RA are just as

likely to respond well to one effective therapy (Cimzia) whether or

not they have had their disease for many years or a few weeks and

irrespective of the number or type of drugs they have tried before.

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/207264.php

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