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Infliximab

Infliximab (Remicade®) is a powerful drug used to treat auto-immune disorders like Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Infliximab is known as a "chimeric monoclonal antibody" (the term "chimeric" refers to the use of both mouse and human components of the drug i.e. mouse binding VK and VH domains and human constant Fc domains). The drug reduces the amount of active TNF-α (tumour necrosis factor alpha) in the body by binding to it and preventing it from signaling the receptors for TNF-α on the surface of cells. more...

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TNF-α is one of the key cytokines that triggers and sustains the inflammation response. Remicade was invented at New York University School of Medicine and developed by Centocor, a pharmaceutical company owned by Johnson & Johnson.

Pharmacology

It is made up of part-human part mouse protein, and is administered by intravenous infusion (usually on an outpatient basis). Before infliximab is administered a test for tuberculosis must be performed, as infliximab has been shown to increase the risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis. Other potential side effects include skin rash, fever, tiredness and difficulty breathing.

Safety

Since the drug's approval and wide-spread use, significant concerns about the safety of infliximab have been raised. After a number of studies and reports of significant adverse reactions in patients receiving infliximab therapy (including serious and sometimes fatal blood disorders, infections, lymphoma and other cancers, serious liver injury, and central nervous system disorders), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to doctors instructing them to screen and monitor potential patients more carefully.

Other uses

Case studies have been done into other uses of infliximab, such as to treat skin diseases. Remicade (infliximab) has been approved for treating ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis (EU), rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis.

There have been numerous case reports of the efficacy of infliximab in various inflammatory skin conditions diseases; psoriasis, in which increased TNFα has been demonstrated, is the most promising indication (Gupta and Skinner, 2004).

Read more at Wikipedia.org


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No shortage of treatment options for IBD: use azathioprine before infliximab. (Clinical Rounds).(inflammatory bowel disease ) : An article from: Family Practice News $5.95 Studies scrutinize treatment options for Crohn's disease.(Gastroenterology ) : An article from: Internal Medicine News $5.95
Infliximab improved psoriasis by 75% in nearly 90% of patients. (Study of 249 Patients). : An article from: Skin & Allergy News $5.95

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of infliximab in patients with chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis
PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of infliximab, a TNF[alpha] inhibitor, in improving lung function, symptoms, and functional capacity in ...
Assessment of infliximab efficacy in extrapulmonary sarcoidosis using a novel assessment tool: results from a randomized trial
PURPOSE: Anecdotal evidence has suggested improvement in extrapulmonary sarcoidosis with infliximab therapy, but this has not been prospectively studied.
Chest X-ray assessment using a detailed scoring method in a randomized trial of infliximab in subjects with chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis
PURPOSE: A radiographic scoring method (Muers et al Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 1997;14:46) was devised to enable rigorous evaluation of chest ...
Using infliximab to close fistulas in Crohn's disease
Fistula formation is common in patients with Crohn's disease. Fecal drainage from fistulas is a distressing symptom. Surgical diversion of the colon ...
The use of infliximab in cutaneous sarcoidosis - Case Reports
Abstract Infliximab, a chimeric (humanized mouse) monoclonal antibody which specifically inhibits TNF-[alpha], has recently shown efficacy in the treatment of refractory sarcoidosis (1,2). The ma
Biologic therapy for psoriasis—the first wave: infliximab, etanercept, efalizumab, and alefacept
Abstract Over the last several years, a new generation of therapies for psoriasis has been in development. These biologic therapies target the activity ...
Arthritis drug fights Crohn's disease - Biomedicine - infliximab - Brief Article
The inflammation-fighting drug infliximab, which has shown promise against acute attacks of Crohn's disease, can hold off the intestinal ailment for ...
Infliximab for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved infliximab (Remicade), in combination with methotrexate, to improve physical function in patients ...

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