REVIEW - Comparative overview of safety of the biologics in RA

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J Rheumatol Suppl. 2009 Jun;82:25-32.

Comparative overview of safety of the biologics in rheumatoid arthritis.

Khraishi M.

Dr. M.M. Khraishi, Nexus Clinical Research, 1 Avenue, St.

's, NL A1B 3E1

Six biologic agents are currently available in Canada for the

treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA): abatacept, adalimumab,

anakinra, etanercept, infliximab, and rituximab. Although they are

generally considered to be safe and well tolerated, concerns have been

raised regarding the use of biologic therapies in the treatment of RA.

The new biologic agents abatacept and rituximab have novel mechanisms

of action, and may therefore offer different safety profiles. The most

important safety concerns with the biologic therapies remain the

increased risk of infection. An increased risk of malignancies,

including lymphoma and skin cancer, has been noted in RA trials, but

the extent to which each of the biologic therapies contributes to the

risk of malignancy has not been clearly defined.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19509327

PMID: 19509327

Not an MD