Researchers Focus on Need for Less Expensive Anti-TNF Drug

Researchers from around the world met in New Delhi to discuss the possibility of making a less expensive drug to block an immune system protein called tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, that plays a key role in the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers say only 300,000 of the 50 million arthritis sufferers worldwide use two current anti-TNF drugs, Remicade and Enbrel, which cost more than $10,000 per patient annually.

A new anti-TNF drug Humira, just approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is expected to cost about the same as Enbrel (see accompanying Arthritis Week story).

The anti-TNF drugs are very effective and are the only treatment for the 20 percent of arthritis sufferers do not respond to standard treatment.

Dr. Ravinder N. Maini, head of rheumatology at London's Imperial College of Science and a pioneering researcher on TNF, told the meeting he hoped some pharmaceutical company would build on the research and develop a cheaper drug to make this treatment for rheumatoid arthritis more widely available.

Other sources: New Delhi Media