When Should I Start Biologics in RA?

Biologic agents for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can change the course of the disease – but these agents are expensive and come with some real as well as theoretical health risks. And that means doctors must perform a delicate balancing act over when, where, and for whom the biologic agents should be prescribed. In a new study based on literature review, Bruno Fautrel, MD, PhD, professor of rheumatology at the Pitié Salpêtrière University Hospital at Pierre et Marie Curie University in Paris, determined that earlier treatment at the first hints of rheumatoid arthritis – almost a pre-arthritis state – with disease modifying agents, including biologics, markedly reduced the risk of transition to frank rheumatoid arthritis by the end of a year. And while that coincides with programs aimed at getting people into treatment earlier in the course of the disease, it doesn't provide definitive answers as to who needs those earlier treatments, researchers suggested. https://www.medpagetoday.com/clinical-challenges/eular/66182?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-22&eun=g721819d0r&pos=2