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Rinvoq was approved by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence last week or an estimated 30% of rheumatoid arthritis patients who have severe illness after global studies showed symptoms reversed or drastically reduced in six out of ten of them. cases.
Some patients taking the drug have even gone into remission, effectively treating them of the condition that affects 400,000 people in the UK.
It is now hoped that the therapy will also be useful for patients with less severe forms of RA.
The new drug – which can be used alone or in combination with standard drugs – works inside cells to block the signals that cause inflammation caused by an overreaction of the immune system. This inflammation leads to pain, stiffness, loss of function, and irreversible joint damage.
The chronic and progressive condition, which can affect adults of any age, can also lead to fatigue, fatal heart disease, lung disease, and fractures.
Professor Chris Edwards, Rheumatologist Consultant and Honorary President of Clinical Rheumatology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust said, “This drug looks very effective and the news of approval is exciting and very welcome. This type of drug offers a whole new way of treating people that we have not been able to treat until now.
“The drug acts as if it is lowering the thermostat of a number of different inflammatory processes, thus blocking the signaling pathway that leads to the inflammation that causes the disease. These drugs can transform people’s lives by helping to stop devastating pain, fatigue and loss of function. “
He added: “When I started working in this field 3 decades ago, remission was something we had never considered for patients. Now we can either aim for that or we can aim for very low disease activity that will not only restore people’s quality of life, but will also mean we can prevent disease leading to progressive joint and organ damage. “
Clare Jacklin, CEO of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS), said, “NRAS welcomes the news that upadacitinib has been approved for the treatment of people with severe RA. Rheumatoid arthritis is a complex autoimmune condition that can affect people in different ways …. It is essential that doctors have a range of medications available to enable them to tailor treatment to an individual patient’s disease type and that there are continuous investments in research innovative drugs for RA. “
The NICE recommendation is based on data from the SELECT phase 3 global rheumatoid arthritis trial program involving nearly 4,400 patients out of a cumulative total of 5,000 years of patient exposure.
40% of RA sufferers will experience symptoms beyond the joints and in other organs such as the eyes, lungs, and heart.
Coronation Street, Bad Girls and Strictly Come Dancing star Claire King was diagnosed with the condition in 1992, Lucille Ball, star of the hit 1950s show I Love Lucy, developed RA when she was a teenager and the star of the 1980s cinema Kathleen Turner who has publicly sought to raise awareness of the disease.
In her 2008 memoir Send Yourself Roses she said that RA had led to her addiction to alcohol, but that Pilates and other exercises had helped.
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