New Drug May Bring Relief to Arthritis Sufferers

A new drug may be on the market to help those who suffer from Arthritis . Patients who took the drug Sarilumab in trials had marked success, with the ability to move more freely than they did before and with less pain and damage to joints. This new drug requires an injection once every couple of weeks, is being called a major breakthrough in the Arthritis community. The trial ran for a year, and patients that had rheumatoid arthritis had their condition improved by about twenty percent. This is a huge benefit for those who suffer from this condition, as they largely have to manage pain with pills, and never stop suffering. There is no cure yet for Arthritis.

Tanya Momtahen, one of the researcher, said this: “Irreversible joint damage can be a consequence for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and this is accompanied by reduced physical function. We are encouraged by these results.” There are nearly three-quarter of a million people in Britain that suffer from Arthritis, one of the most painful and debilitation decisions out there. This is a chronic inflammatory condition that targets joints, and even works to destroy, bone, cartilage and tissue. Many people do not respond to Methotrexate, which is right now the most effective drug on the market for those who have Arthritis.

The drug works because it targets a specific protein that causes the inflammation. It is called IL-6. Those that suffer have to use narcotic painkillers but many want to be off of them and this new drug may be the way to do it. The problem is, that patients who suffer from arthritis makes too much of this IL-6 protein, and therefore they suffer the symptoms that the protein causes. This is the first drug that has been targeted specifically to IL-6. It could be available within about 10 years if the FDA approves the drug.