A study of 311 patients by The University of Manchester has found that it may be possible to predict early which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients will fail to respond to the biologic drugs given to treat them. These findings could help better manage patients' symptoms.
RA is a chronic disease which affects up to 1.5% of the population. It is a significant health burden for patients, who can experience pain, reduced mobility and premature death unless they receive effective treatment.
Biologics are a relatively new form of treatment for RA. Given by injection, they work by stopping particular chemicals in the blood from activating the immune system and attacking the joints.
