Biologic therapy for autoimmune diseases: an update.

Abstract

Biologic therapies for rheumatologic diseases, which are targeted at molecules involved in the mechanisms of the immune system, provide an alternative to the existing treatment methods of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and other immunosuppressive medications. However, the current drawbacks of biologic therapies, including the inconvenience of intravenous administration, the high costs of these drugs, and the adverse events associated with them, prevent their wide use as first-line medications. This review provides an update of the recent literature on the new biologic therapies available. The review concentrates on nine drugs: tocilizumab, rituximab, ofatumumab, belimumab, epratuzumab, abatacept, golimumab, certolizumab, and sifalimumab, which are used as therapies for rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, or vasculitis.

• Authors: Ziv Rosman, Yehuda Shoenfeld, Gisele Zandman-Goddard
• Journal: BMC medicine (BMC Med) Vol. 11 Pg. 88 (Apr 04 2013) ISSN: 1741-7015 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 23557513 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Immunosuppressive Agents

Topics

• Autoimmune Diseases (therapy)
• Biological Therapy (adverse effects, methods)
• Humans
• Immunosuppressive Agents (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Immunotherapy (adverse effects, methods)