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Many of our readers either already have or will in the future encounter the possibility of being treated with a biologic medication. This is because biologics have revolutionized the treatment of such chronic illnesses as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, and are widely used in treating a variety of cancers. To name just a few, these products include Enbrel, Humira, Remicade (infliximab), Avonex (inteferon beta-1a), Betaseron (interferon beta-1b), Tysabri, Cimzia (certolizumab pegol), Herceptin (trastuzumab), Rituxan (rituximab), Neupogen (filgrastim), Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) and Leukine (sargramostim). So just what are biologics, how do they differ from more traditional drugs, and why are they so expensive?Although some biologics have been around for a long time, I’m not talking about these first-generation products, which include things like vaccines, blood and blood components. Instead, I’m focusing on the newer, second-generation biologics that have come to market only […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

Rituxan (rituximab) is a biologic medication that is already approved by the FDA for the treatment of both non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is now being studied as a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis, and results of an early-stage clinical trial, recently published in the prestigious “New England Journal of Medicine,” show that it may have great potential in treating this chronic illness. This is not the first time that a cancer drug (Rituxan was originally approved for NHL, a type of blood cell cancer) has later been studied in MS. Novantrone (mitoxantrone) is one such cancer drug, originally approved for the treatment of certain leukemias and then later for advanced prostate cancer, which also was eventually approved by the FDA for the treatment of MS.
In the current Phase 2 research, patients, 18-55 years of age with relapsing-remitting MS, were randomized to receive either […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

Tysabri [natalizumab] has become the third biologic medication approved for the treatment of Crohn’s disease. Unlike the other two approved biologics, Remicade [infliximab] and Humira [adalimumab], Tysabri does not work by inhibiting tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Because of this it offers an alternative biologic treatment for those patients who either cannot tolerate or who do not respond well enough to the TNF inhibitors. Instead, it binds to a protein on the surface of certain types of white blood cells and prevents them from leaving the blood stream to enter the tissues where they would otherwise cause inflammation. Tysabri has already been approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Tysabri is approved for use in adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease with evidence of inflammation who have had an inadequate response to, or are intolerant of, conventional Crohn’s therapies and TNF-inhibitors. Tysabri is given by […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

Tysabri (natalizumab) has become the third biologic medication approved for the treatment of Crohn’s disease. Unlike the other two approved biologics, Remicade (infliximab) and Humira (adalimumab), Tysabri does not work by inhibiting tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Because of this it offers an alternative biologic treatment for those patients who either cannot tolerate or who do not respond well enough to the TNF inhibitors. Instead, it binds to a protein on the surface of certain types of white blood cells and prevents them from leaving the blood stream to enter the tissues where they would otherwise cause inflammation. Tysabri has already been approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Tysabri is approved for use in adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease with evidence of inflammation who have had an inadequate response to, or are intolerant of, conventional Crohn’s therapies and TNF-inhibitors. Tysabri is given by […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com