Abstract
The increasing insights into the pathogenetic mechanisms of inflammatory autoimmune arthritis and the development of innovative systems of industrial production have led to discover molecules that are able to target/block other molecules that play a critical role in the immune system functioning, and that have been introduced in clinical practice alone and/or in addiction with other “old” disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.
For this reason, such drugs are currently known as “biological drugs” and include molecules that induce the immunosuppression acting on several immune pathways.
However, though the biological drugs have been employed from more than a decade, there still exist some drawbacks of their use, in particular about the high costs of this therapy and their overall safety, including the route of administration for the intravenous use.
In this review we provide an update on the correct use and current therapeutic indications of such drugs, including some of the new biologic therapies that will be soon available for the clinical use, focusing on these biological drugs:
• Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors (adalimumab, certolizumab-pegol, etanercept, golimumab and infliximab);
• The T cell co-stimulation inhibitor, abatacept;
• The anti-CD20 receptor monoclonal B cell agent, rituximab;
• The interlukin-6 (IL-6) receptor-blocking monoclonal antibody, tocilizumab;
• The interlukin-1 (IL-1) inhibitor, anakinra;
• The interlukin-IL17 (IL-17) pathway inhibitors (ustekinumab, secukinumab, brodalumab).
Keywords: Biologic drugs, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, safety, therapy.
Related Journals
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Current Bioactive Compounds
Current Drug Targets
Current Neuropharmacology
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Current Pharmaceutical Analysis
Current Vascular Pharmacology
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery
Current Drug Discovery Technologies
Related Books
Frontiers in Drug Design and Discovery
New Findings from Natural Substances
Key Heterocyclic Cores for Smart Anticancer Drug–Design Part II
Key Heterocyclic Cores for Smart Anticancer Drug–Design Part I
Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Production: An Introductory Textbook
Evidence-Based Research in Ayurveda against COVID-19 in Compliance with Standardized Protocols and Practices
Pharmaceuticals for Targeting Coronaviruses
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Drug Discovery
Frontiers in Drug Design and Discovery
Medical Applications of Beta-Glucan
101
11
1
1