In clinical trials, CIMZIA was proven versus placebo to provide noticeable RA symptom relief within 24 weeks for the majority of patients and as fast as 1-2 weeks for some patients. A majority of patients experienced noticeable improvement in RA signs and symptoms at 24 weeks; in many patients this lasted through 1 year and prevented further joint damage. Your results may vary.
CIMZIA is a PEGylated TNF blocker
CIMZIA works by blocking the action of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. TNF-alpha
is a protein produced by cells of the immune system—the body's defense system.
TNF-alpha plays a role in the immune system response that causes inflammation in
rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammation causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. When
inflammation is severe or long lasting, joint damage may occur.
Rheumatoid arthritis disease progression: inflammation and joint damage
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PEGylation helps the medicine to stay in the body longer
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CIMZIA is the first and only PEGylated biologic treatment for RA. PEGylation has been shown to help the medicine stay in the body longer.
Important Safety Information
Patients 65 years of age or older, patients with other long-term medical conditions, or patients taking certain other drugs that affect the immune system, such as corticosteroids or methotrexate, may be at a greater risk of infection.
What clinical studies with CIMZIA have shown
CIMZIA has been tested in clinical studies. One major study involved adults with
moderate to severe RA that was not well controlled by taking methotrexate (MTX)
alone. In this 1-year study, one group of patients took CIMZIA and MTX and another
group of patients took MTX and a shot that contained no medicine (placebo). Over
the course of the study, both groups of patients were evaluated against 2 common
RA measurement scales: the
ACR20 and the
modified total Sharp score.
ACR20 measures the percentage of patients who have a 20% improvement in the number
of tender and swollen joints plus a 20% improvement in 3 other core measures of
disease activity. The modified total Sharp score measures the amount of progression
(advancement) of joint damage. The score measures both joint space narrowing (loss
of cartilage) and bone erosion (damage to the bone). The 2 main end points of the
study were the ACR20 response rate at 6 months and the mean change in modified total
Sharp score at 1 year. If you have questions, ask your doctor about these measures
or about how to track disease improvement by these tools.
This study showed many potential benefits of CIMZIA plus MTX compared with MTX alone:
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Noticeable RA relief that lasts. In clinical trials, CIMZIA was
proven versus placebo to provide noticeable RA symptom relief within 24 weeks for
the majority of patients and as fast as 1-2 weeks for some patients. In many patients
this lasted through 1 year. Your results may vary.
- Less pain and improvement
in fatigue and physical function. Patients taking CIMZIA also had less
pain, improvement in fatigue, and better physical function. Physical function was
measured using a set of questions that asked patients about their ability to do
everyday activities (the Health Assessment Questionnaire, or HAQ).
- Prevented further progression
of joint damage. At one year, patients who took CIMZIA showed less progression
(advancement) of joint damage than patients taking placebo.
Important Safety Information
Serious infections have happened in patients taking CIMZIA, including tuberculosis
(TB) and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that have spread throughout
the body. Some patients have died from these infections.
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