Musculoskeletal and Skin Disorders
| Abatacept - Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis | ||
RA is a painful autoimmune disorder that affects the tissues and organs. |
The disease may lead to a loss of mobility. |
RA affects about 1% of the world's population. |
| Actemra - Biological Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), | ||
Roche Pharmaceuticals' R&D facility in Basel Switzerland. |
Biopharmaceutical production at Roche. |
Roche's MabThera / Rituxan has recently been approved for the additional indication of RA. |
Actemra is a therapeutic monoclonal antibody that targets the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6. |
Roche's MabThera / Rituxan is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. |
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| Afamelanotide | ||
Clinuvel's afamelanotide photo-protective drug comes in implant and injection form, to treat those with light-related skin disorders. |
Afamelanotide treats disorders including solar urticaria, actinic keratosis and polymorphous light eruption, among others. |
Erythropoietic protoporphyria is caused by UV light intolerance, and can be treated by afamelanotide. |
| Enbrel – Immunosuppressant for Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis | ||
Enbrel was the first biologic medicine approved for the treatment of moderate to severe RA. |
In those suffering from RA, TNF is produced in excess leading to chronic inflammation. |
RA normally develops between the ages of 25 and 50 and affects more women than men. |
| Ustekinumab – Treatment for Plaque Psoriasis | ||
Discovered and developed by Centocor, ustekinumab (CNTO 1275) is an investigational MAb with a novel dual mechanism of action. Its initial indication is for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. |
Studies conducted to date suggest that ustekinumab is an effective treatment for plaque psoriasis. |
A variety of tools have been used to assess the severity of plaque psoriasis and response to treatment, some of which are detailed above. The PASI, which provides a measure of the average redness, thickness and scaliness of the lesions, is the current gold standard for assessing response to treatment. |
| Xiaflex to Treat Dupuytren's Contracture | ||
