A paradigm shift in rheumatoid arthritis over the past decade.

Abstract

Recent advances have improved our understanding of the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the development of new therapeutics, including biological agents, have thus made it possible to strive for remission as a primary goal. Biological agents targeting a specific molecule have powerful functional capabilities, and the introduction of biological therapies has brought about revolutionary progress in RA management, culminating in a paradigm shift. There is clear evidence that a delay in treatment initiation and poor control of disease activity are associated with joint damage progression, so treatment should be started immediately after the diagnosis of RA and adapted according to disease activity as assessed by validated composite measures. In this review, we will summarize the changes in the classification and remission criteria and describe the clinical efficacies of biological agents in RA. We also discuss new promising therapies and propose future perspectives in the rheumatology field.

• Authors: Yuko Kaneko, Tsutomu Takeuchi
• Journal: Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) (Intern Med) Vol. 53 Issue 17 Pg. 1895-903 ( 2014) ISSN: 1349-7235 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 25175120 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antirheumatic Agents

Topics

• Antirheumatic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (drug therapy)
• Disease Management
• Disease Progression
• Humans