Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic autoimmune connective tissue disease characterized by the symmetrical joint inflammation, leading to erosion and destruction of the joint surface, which impairs their range of movement and leads to deformation of the joint. Recent years have brought improvement in the understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease, resulting in the production of a new groups of biological drugs, including, among others, anti-TNF-α antibodies. The latter include chimeric (infliximab) and fully human anti-tumor necrosis factor α monoclonal antibodies (adalimumab, golimumab), a pegylated Fab fragment (certolizumab pegol) and a recombinant fusion proteins that effectively bind the soluble TNF-α receptor (etanercept). The results of clinical trials revealed a significant reduction of disease activity and inhibition of radiological progression during treatment with TNF-α blockers.
This paper presents an overview of currently available TNF-α antagonists in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis