Will the New Arthritis Smart Drug Be Accessible to the Majority of Sufferers ?

The new generation smart drug 'Tocilizumab' which will be released under the brand name 'Actemra', could offer hope to hundreds of thousands of Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. But will Tocilizumab ('Actemra') ever become available on the NHS and if so will it be available across the board or will it again depend on where you live, i.e, the so called post code lottery for medication.

Hundreds of thousands of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers are offered hope by a new monthly treatment which was found to reduce symptoms and boost the quality of life in RA patients when compared with using methotrexate on its own.

The new generation smart drug 'Tocilizumab' which will be released under the brand name 'Actemra',has been found to slow the progression of the disease and reduce symptoms by up to 50 per cent in many sufferers.

The condition labeled as rheumatoid arthritis, which affects the immune system and causes the body to attack its own joints, is thought to affect 487,000 people in the UK.

Around 18,000 new cases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are diagnosed each year, with around 70 per cent of those being women.

Rheumatoid arthritis is also classified as an autoimmune disease (immune cells attack the body's own healthy tissues). RA causes painful swelling and stiffness in joints - particularly the hands, feet and wrists - as well as bone damage and permanent disability, but there can be systemic effects (i.e. affecting the entire body). Rheumatoid arthritis is a long term disease & for many it can lead to serious problems and immobility..

The condition normally develops at an average age of 25, but often is not discovered for many years leading many to consider RA as a disease associated with age. Several drugs have been developed over the years to try and help ease the pain, most being of the symptomatic variety, which offer only short periods of symptom relief, as yet, there is no cure, but that may be about to change, at least for some.

The new treatment, Tocilizumab target areas of the immune system, protecting the body's joints from further attack. Tocilizumab works in conjunction with an existing treatment, 'Methotrexate', and will need to be administered monthly in hospital. However, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has not yet approved the treatments, which means patients must at present seek private treatment rather than obtaining the drugs free on the NHS.

Due to the high cost of the new drug, estimated to be in the region of £10,000 per year, there are fears that Tocilizumab may be refused by 'Nice'. Although this drug looks set to become a mile stone in the ongoing search for an effective arthritis treatment, and it is undoubtedly a very exciting time for thousands of sufferers.

The question remains - will it be a viable option for the masses and not just for the few.

Will Tocilizumab ('Actemra') ever become available on the NHS and if so will it be available across the board or will it again depend on where you live, i.e, the so called post code lottery for medication.

So although this is an exciting discovery, it may also turn out to be a very frustrating time for many, unless of course you have rather a large amount of spare change

by E Richards - 14 December 2008

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Source: http://www.howicuredmyarthritis.com