Abstract

Adalimumab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Author(s): Susan J Lee and Arthur Kavanaugh

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory condition of unknown etiology, affecting about 1% of the general population. Adalimumab was added to our armamentarium against rheumatoid arthritis in December 2002. It can be used either alone or in combination with methotrexate in those patients who continue to have persistent disease activity despite their therapy. Adalimumab has been shown to rapidly improve the clinical status and retard radiographic progression in a substantial number of treated patients. Its clinical efficacy has been shown to be sustained through several years of continued therapy. The rate of adverse events is comparable to that of other tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. As with those agents, while infections are the main adverse event clinicians should be aware of, patients should also be counseled about, and monitored for, rare events such as tuberculosis, opportunistic infections, lymphoma, and demyelinating or autoimmune diseases.