New Therapy Option Studied for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Children who suffer from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis soon may have another treatment option. Arava ( lefunomide), currently used to treat adults who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, has shown promise in the treatment of children as well.

A multicenter, 26-week pilot study began with 27 children, aged 3 to 1 7, who do not respond to the traditional treatment, methotrexate, or suffer from side effects. Eighteen patients completed the open-label study, with more than half of them responding to treatment with Arava.

"This pilot clinical study suggests that Arava is potentially safe and effective in a younger patient population who is currently limited in treatment options," said Dr. Earl Silverman, lead researcher and professor of pediatrics and immunology at the University of Toronto.

Other sources: Aventis, University of Toronto