Biological response modifiers (BRMs) -- often referred to as biologic agents or simply biologics -- are new drugs used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Since their debut in 1999, they have brought relief to a number of people who for some reason do not respond to disease-modifying anttirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

BRMs can help reduce inflammation and structural damage of the joints by either inhibiting or supplementing immune system components called cytokines, which play a role in either fueling or suppressing the inflammation that causes damage in rheumatoid arthritis.

Three of these drugs approved for treating rheumatoid arthritis -- Adalimumab (Humira), etanercept (Enbrel) and infliximab (Remicade) -- inhibits a cytokine called tumor necrosis factor.

The newest of these drugs, anakinra (Kineret), blocks the action of the cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1).

Not only do the BRMs bring arthritis relief, but research suggests that they may also inhibit the damage to the joint structures that arthritis can cause.

These drugs must be infused or injected, and are expensive compared to non-biologic drugs.

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