Biological Therapies for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Non-TNF Inhibitors

directed at interrupting the inflammatory process, which, if left unchecked, causes irreversible joint damage, deformity and long-term functional impairment. The earlier therapy is initiated, the better the long-term outcomes in patients with RA. Methotrexate is the main disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) used for the treatment of RA and remains the gold standard of first-line therapy. However, an emerging class of biological DMARDs is now available for patients who fail to respond to methotrexate monotherapy and/or combination therapy with other traditional DMARDs. Treatment with these new biological DMARDs is designed to specifically target the immune response underlying the development and progression of RA. The non-TNF inhibitors are a class of biological DMARDs that inhibit proinflammatory cytokines other than TNF which are also considered to play a central pathogenic role in the development of rheumatoid synovitis and RA. The main non-TNF inhibitors used to treat patients with RA are tocilizumab, abatacept and rituximab. Several emerging Biological Therapies for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Non-TNF Inhibitors