As I was reading the article about the new biologic Roche is applying for, it got me to wondering. It seems that each biologic is targeting something different (TNF, b-cells, IL-x) which may be one part of the RA puzzle. But why don't they have a biologic that targets ALL those things, or why don't they use several biologics concurrently? Could our bodies not handle having all those different parts attacked at the same time? It just seems to me that if you're only treating part of the cause, you're not going to get rid of all the symptoms.
Thoughts, anyone?
Innerglow -
They are only treating the symptom - period. The Pharma Co's and most MD's say they don't know WHY this happens - hence going after the symptom. IE. inflammation.
And isn't that why people are on multiple D-MARD's?
Pip
I think the more functions the drug would inhibit, the more possiblity there would be for adverse side effects. These RA drugs don't get at the cause of RA, they just interupt the RA process so the symptoms are relieved. We still need immune function for all sorts of other reasons. I guess the idea is to disable the immune functions just enough to cause relief and not so much you constabtly get sick from other stuff.