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Doctors use a variety of different medications to treat patients who have arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Before any of these medicines can be prescribed, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required strict testing to be sure they are safe and effective at treating a particular disease. Most of this testing and evaluation process is done through clinical trials.
At any given time, dozens of clinical trials conducted by licensed health care professionals are underway. These trials, lasting from a few weeks to many years, determine just how safe and effective new treatments may be. Participating in a clinical trial is completely voluntary, but it isn’t for everyone.
Source: American College of Rheumatology
Interested in Learning More About Clinical Trials at The Center for Rheumatology? Click here to learn more or call us at 518-489-4471.
Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) belongs to a class of drugs known as alkylating agents, which have been used to treat some types of cancer. It is also considered a potent immunosuppressant—a medicine that can decrease the immune response.
Cyclophosphamide blocks the production of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in cells. This prevents cells from dividing, leading to cell death. Some of the cells affected by this medication are immune cells. These play a key role in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma or vasculitis.
Source: American College of Rheumatology
Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf) is a potent immunosuppressant drug that is considered a disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD), because it not only decreases the pain and swelling of arthritis, but it may also prevent joint damage and reduce the risk of long term disability. It helps with pain and swelling and also slows the progression of arthritis over time.
Source: American College of Rheumatology
