Abstract

PHARMACEUTICAL APPROACHES OF IL-6 INHIBITORS FOR THE TREATMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, FOCUS ON NEW FDA APPROVED DRUG: SARILUMAB

Reza Andriani* and A. A. Raka Karsana

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inf1ammatory disease of unknown etiology and the most common form of chronic inflammatory arthritis and often results in joint damage and physical disability. RA is characterized by synovial inflammation and hyperplasia, autoantibody production, cartilage and bone destruction, and systemic features, including cardiovascular, pulmonary, psychological, and skeletal disorders. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a potent pro-inflammatory agent which plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of systemic inflammatory disease. During acute inflammation in RA, monocytes, macrophages and endothelial cells release IL-6, accompanied by an increase in neutrophils in synovial fluids. As disease progresses, IL-6 is thought to influence the shift from acute to chronic inflammation. Recently, the agents targeting the IL-6 (classes of biologic therapies) and/or its receptor attracted significant attention as a promising arthritics drug. RA patients with inadequate response to TNF inhibitor and non-biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), demonstrated a therapeutic response to IL-6 receptor blockers. This article attempts to review the new FDA approved IL-6 inhibitor drug Sarilumab for RA from pharmaceutical aspects.

Keywords: Sarilumab, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Il-6 inhibitor, IL-6 receptor blockers.