Adalimumab is an injectable prescription drug used to treat diseases of the immune system; it is marketed by Abbot as Humira. It is one of three drugs that work by inhibiting the potent inflammatory molecule tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha); the others are etanercept (Enbrel) and infliximab (Remicade). Like etanercept and infliximab, adalimumab is a large protein molecule made with recombinant DNA technology. Adalimumab is a monoclonal antibody of the IgG1 subtype that has been "humanized", meaning that all of its components are derived from human molecules.
Researchers now say that two biotech drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Humira (Abbott Laboratories) and Remicade (Johnson & Johnson), may not raise the risk of cancer and infections as much as was initially feared.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune, inflammatory disease marked by progressive joint and organ damage, face a high risk of developing cancer.
Anti-TNF (tumor necrosis factor) therapies are a tried and tested type of medication used for treating rheumatoid arthritis and the drugs provide benefit to many of thousands of patients worldwide.
A new meta-analysis of many previous studies of TNF- (tumor necrosis factor) blocking antibodies for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has confirmed a previously discovered increased risk for serious infection and has found that cancer also is a potential risk associated with the drugs.
A chronic and potentially crippling inflammatory disorder, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progressively wears away the cartilage and bone.
For people with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis, combined treatment with the new "biologic" drug adalimumab and methotrexate is about five times more effective than methotrexate alone, according to a new systematic review of studies.
Abbott has announced that it has received approval from the European Commission to market Humira (adalimumab) as a treatment for psoriatic arthritis and early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Europe.
More than 4.5 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with psoriasis and 21 percent of those have moderate to severe psoriasis. This chronic condition, characterized by thick, red, scaly plaques that itch and bleed, not only makes the activities of daily life difficult, but also can affect a person's emotional well being.
Members of the second most important family of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis can cause serious dermatological conditions in a quarter of patients under treatment, reveals a study published in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy.
50,000 people or 10% of the 500,000 people in the U.S with cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or hepatitis C will be eligible for a Medicare drug lottery for coverage of life saving drugs.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the biologic drug etanercept (brand name Enbrel) to treat chronic, moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults.