RA Treatment Options
Deciding on a Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Plan.
When it comes to treating rheumatoid arthritis, the clock is ticking, and time could be working against you. That's why it's essential
to get an effective RA treatment sooner rather than later. Some medications commonly used to treat moderate to severe RA include:
- NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs):
- Include ibuprofen, CELEBREX® and Aleve®.
- May offer temporary relief from rheumatoid arthritis pain and inflammation.
- Do nothing to stop worsening of joint damage.*
- DMARDs (disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs)
- Include methotrexate.
- Can relieve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and may help slow joint damage.
- For some people, methotrexate alone may not be enough.
- TNF (tumor necrosis factor) blockers:
- Include HUMIRA® (adalimumab).
- An advanced class of medications that can relieve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and slow worsening of joint damage.
TNF blockers: the science behind treating rheumatoid arthritis.
The medical community is learning new facts about rheumatoid arthritis treatments every day, and making advancements all the time.
One such advancement that could make a real difference in your fight against RA is an advanced class of medications known as
TNF (tumor necrosis factor) blockers.
While the exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still unknown, it has been linked to excess TNF-alpha (TNF-α) being produced in the body.
- Excess TNF-α can cause your immune system to attack healthy tissue, causing swelling and damage, especially to your bones,
cartilage and joints.
- TNF blockers work to block this excess TNF-α.
- TNF blockers can help slow the worsening of damage to bones and joints for some patients.
One such TNF blocker is HUMIRA (adalimumab), which can be taken alone or with a DMARD (disease-modifying antirheumatic drug),
such as methotrexate.
HUMIRA helps fight rheumatoid arthritis the same way your body would if it could.
Combining HUMIRA and methotrexate could mean a significant difference.
HUMIRA is approved for reducing the signs and symptoms and helping to keep the joint damage from getting worse in adult patients
with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. HUMIRA can reduce the pain, stiffness and fatigue of RA.
In clinical trials, patients taking HUMIRA and methotrexate had better results than those taking methotrexate alone. One study of patients
with early, moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis† who were on this therapy showed that:
- Almost 2 out of 3 people had no further joint damage at 1 year (compared to 37% taking methotrexate alone).2
- It was an average of 5 times more effective at slowing the progression of joint damage than methotrexate alone at 2 years.2
And in a separate study of people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed for an average of 12 years, adding
HUMIRA to methotrexate showed that:
- 52% of people experienced a 50% improvement in swollen and tender joints, as well as other measures of disease
activity at 6 months (versus 7% taking placebo plus methotrexate).3
* The American College of Rheumatology recommends that anyone with rheumatoid arthritis who is being treated with NSAIDs and is still
having pain, stiffness, fatigue or other signs of disease progression should be on a DMARD within three months. CELEBREX® (celecoxib)
and Aleve® (naproxen sodium) are not registered trademarks of Abbott.
† Diagnosed for less than three years, not previously treated with methotroxate.