Study: Anti-TNF Drugs Equally Effective for Rheumatoid Arthritis

The three anti-TNF drugs currently on the market are equal in their effectiveness in treating rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study reported in the November issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.

TNF, or tumor necrosis factor, is naturally produced by the body. Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis have high levels of TNF in the lubricating fluid in joints, causing inflammation and pain, tenderness and swelling. If unchecked, the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis eventually leads to destruction of the joints.

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers evaluated the effectiveness of the anti-TNF drugs adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab in rheumatoid arthritis patients who had failed to respond to the drug methotrexate.

Methotrexate, a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug, is considered the standard treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

The reseachers concluded that the three anti-TNF drugs they tested are equally effective when added to methotrexate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Other sources: Annals of Rheumatic Diseases (Nov;62 Suppl 2:II13-II16)