Rheumatoid Arthritis fairly new drugs

This is a review or recap of drugs(some on the market) used to treat arthritis.The article in the new endland medical journal gives a summary of the main drugs avaliable and runs through their mode of action (how they work to make you feel better).They is also of these newish drugs includes Leflunomide,Etanercept,Infliximab
Adalimumab.

I realise that some people will have heard of these treatments but this site is also about introducing new fairly recent treatment options to those who perhaps dont know.As always ask your docter or pharmacist about any questions regarding these drugs.

Extract

New Drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Nancy J. Olsen, M.D., and C. Michael Stein, M.B., Ch.B.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects approximately 1 percent of the U.S. population and can cause irreversible joint deformities and functional impairment. The cause of this autoimmune disease remains obscure, but greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms has facilitated the development of new drugs and revolutionized treatment.1

Specific CD4+ T cells are involved in the induction of the immune response in rheumatoid arthritis, most likely as a response to an unknown exogenous or endogenous antigen. Consequently, recruited monocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts produce cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF-) and interleukin-1 within the synovial cavity. These cytokines are central to a damag


Reference
New england medical journal Volume 350:2167-2179 May 20, 2004 Number 21