Re: New Drug Promising Against Rheumatoid Arthritis

[Guest guest]

Hi Doreen:  Thanks for a great article.  Sounds so promising for R.A. sufferers.

Glad you are feeling better.  Have a great day.  Wishing you pain free days

ahead.

 

Hugs,

 

Barbara

From: Mimi <mimi212@...>

Subject: [ ] New Drug Promising Against Rheumatoid Arthritis

Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 8:42 AM

From Drugs.com 06/29/2009:

MONDAY, June 29 -- The immunosuppressive drug golimumab shows promise in

treating rheumatoid arthritis patients who don't respond to other drugs,

according to a new study. Golimumab is from the family of drugs called tumor

necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) inhibitors.

The new study included 461 patients in 10 countries who were randomly selected

to receive either injections of placebo, 50 milligrams of golimumab or 100

milligrams of golimumab. The injections were given every four weeks for 24

weeks.

After 14 weeks, 35 percent of patients taking 50 milligrams of golimumab and 38

percent of those taking 100 milligrams of the drug achieved a 20 percent or

higher improvement in American College of Rheumatology criteria for assessment

of rheumatoid arthritis (ACR 20), compared with 18 percent of patients taking

the placebo.

The study also found that among the 58 percent of patients who had discontinued

a previous TNF-a inhibitor treatment because it wasn't effective, ACR 20 was

achieved by 36 percent of patients taking 50 milligrams of golimumab, 43 percent

of those taking 100 milligrams of golimumab and 18 percent of those in the

placebo group.

After 24 weeks of treatment, serious adverse events were recorded in five

percent of patients taking 50 milligrams of golimumab, four percent of those

taking 100 milligrams of the drug and in 10 percent of patients on placebo.

" Golimumab reduces the signs and symptoms of active rheumatoid arthritis and

improves physical function in patients who had previously received TNF-a

inhibitors, which suggests that switching patients from one TNF-a inhibitor to

golimumab is effective and generally well-tolerated, " wrote f Smolen of the

Medical University of Vienna and Hietzing Hospital in Vienna, Austria, and

colleagues.

In a commentary, Dr. Yusuf Yazici of New York University Hospital for Joint

Diseases, New York City, said that " for those patients who have failed or had an

inadequate response to etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab or abatacept,

golimumab might be a good option. "

The study, which was funded by drug makers Centocor, Inc. and Schering- Plough,

appears online June 29 inThe Lancet.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects about 1.3

million people in the United States. TNF-a inhibitors are widely used to treat

the disease, but 30 to 50 percent of patients treated with these drugs are

intolerant or have an inadequate response to the drugs. Prior to this study, no

controlled trials had examined whether patients who don't respond to one TNF-a

inhibitor might respond to another.

More information:

The Arthritis Foundation has more about rheumatoid arthritis.

[Guest guest]

Hi Barbara - You're welcome for the article. It does sound promising. As for me,

I'm not feeling any better. Today was week 6 of the Enbrel. I had really hoped I

would see the improvements by now. I've been up for about 3 hours so far this

morning and the am stiffness and pain still has not let up. I don't know what to

do. On top of everything else, the hernia I have has gotten extremely tender. I

leaned against it at the counter last night and felt pain there for the first

time. I don't know what this means - I sure wish SSD would come through with a

positive decision soon. I'm almost to the point of needing to go to the ER and I

really don't want to go there. I get to the point of feeling like no one is

taking me seriously (medical personnel), so what's the point?

Anyway - sorry for the negative reply. Thanks for your well wishes. I pray you

will continue to have pain free days as well.....Doreen

>

> Hi Doreen:  Thanks for a great article.  Sounds so promising for R.A.

sufferers.

> Glad you are feeling better.  Have a great day.  Wishing you pain free days

ahead.

>  

> Hugs,

>  

> Barbara

[Guest guest]

Hi Doreen:

I feel badly that you are suffering so much. I too had hoped the Enbrel

would work for you. What will you try next? What does your Rheumy say

is your next choice?

I know you are waiting to be approved for SSDI, and I hope you hear soon

so you can get an income and also health ins. Why they drag their feet

is beyond me.

I am sure all the rain we are getting is making you hurt worse. More to

come today. My ankles and feet are a little stiff, but I can manage

that.

I am again going to cut down on my daily Pred. I am going to go from 10

t0 5mg. a day. I will do this over the next 3 weeks. My Rheumy wants

me to try to get off it totally while I am in my remission. I want to

see if I can also. I will do that reduction over a month or so. I will

go very, very slowly. As you know, I have never been able to get off it

in 5 years. But you know me, I try and try.

I do pray that you will be pain free, and also pray for your approval of

SSDI. I can't see why you would not be approved.

Rest when you can, and I sure hope things improve for you. You so

deserve a break from all this suffering and worrying.

Hugs,

Barbara

> >

> > Hi Doreen: Thanks for a great article. Sounds so promising for

R.A. sufferers.

> > Glad you are feeling better. Have a great day. Wishing you pain

free days ahead.

> >

> > Hugs,

> >

> > Barbara

>