About RA
How RA affects your immune system
The immune system involves many different kinds of cells that protect the body by fighting harmful things like germs and viruses. The body uses 2 main types of white blood cells in these fights, B cells and T cells.
To send signals to the white blood cells, the body uses proteins called cytokines that act as messengers for the immune system. Cytokines tell the white blood cells when to fight germs and viruses. In a healthy immune system, the white blood cells are told to stop fighting once the germs and viruses have been fought off.
There are many different messenger cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-6. Everyone has these cytokines in his or her body, but most people with RA have too many.
One of the things these cytokines do is tell the body to make more white blood cells. In RA, because there are too many cytokines, the white blood cells may start to work too hard and start to attack the body itself. This contributes to the signs and symptoms of RA.
IL-6, TNF, B cells and T cells are all important parts of the immune system. They can all contribute to the signs and symptoms of RA. Current RA medications target only one of these things at a time.
There are no tests to determine whether your RA is a result of too much IL-6 or TNF or too much T-cell activity or too much B-cell activity. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t use more than one of these kinds of medication at a time. Doing so may increase your risk of infection.
Joint pain is a common symptom of RA, but RA can also affect the rest of your body.
Symptoms in the joints
- Pain
- Warmth, redness, tenderness and swelling
Symptoms beyond the joints
- Fatigue
- Difficulty performing daily activities
- Stiffness, especially in the morning
- Decreased mobility
- Occasional low grade fever
Who is affected by RA?
- RA affects about 1.3 million people in the U.S.
- Women are 2 to 3 times more likely to be affected by RA than men
- RA affects people of all ethnic backgrounds, usually starting between the ages of 20 and 50
No one knows the exact cause of RA, but research continues in the hopes of finding the answer. As RA progresses and is not properly treated, problems may arise.
Please read the Medication Guide. Talk to your doctor before you start ACTEMRA and before each infusion, because there may be new information. The Medication Guide does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or your treatment.
What is Rituxan?
Rituxan is a prescription medicine used in adults with another medicine called methotrexate to reduce the signs and symptoms of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after at least one other medicine called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist has been used and did not work well. People with serious infections should not receive Rituxan.
Important Safety Information for Rituxan
Rituxan therapy can result in serious side effects, some which can be life-threatening. These include:
- infusion reactions
- tumor lysis syndrome (TLS)
- severe mucocultaneous reactions
- progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)
Other serious, potentially life threatening side effects are:
- hepatitis B infection that may become active again
- serious infections
- heart problems
- low blood cell counts
Common side effects include infections and infusion reactions.
Before treatment with Rituxan, patients should tell their doctor if they have an infection, including one that will not go away or keeps coming back.
If patients experience any symptoms or side effects during or after Rituxan treatment, they should seek immediate medical attention.
These are not all of the possible side effects with Rituxan. Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
Please read the Rituxan Full Prescribing Information including the Medication Guide
If you have any questions about this information, be sure to discuss them with your doctor.
Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol), Enbrel® (etanercept), Humira® (adalimumab), Orencia® (abatacept), Remicade® (infliximab), Rituxan® (rituximab) and Simponi® (golimumab) are all registered trademarks and the property of their respective owners.
This information does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about either your medical condition or your treatment with ACTEMRA. Talk with your healthcare provider if you have any questions about your treatment with ACTEMRA.
What is ACTEMRA?
ACTEMRA is a prescription medicine called an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor Inhibitor. ACTEMRA is used to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after at least one other medicine called a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) antagonist has been used and did not work well
IMPORTANT SIDE EFFECT INFORMATION
Some people have serious infections while taking ACTEMRA, including tuberculosis (TB), and infections caused by bacteria, fungi or viruses that can spread throughout the body. Some people have died from these infections.
Other serious side effects of ACTEMRA include tears (perforation) of the stomach and intestines, changes in blood test results (including low neutrophil count, low platelet count, increase in certain liver function tests and increase in blood cholesterol levels), hepatitis B infection becoming an active infection again and nervous system problems.
ACTEMRA affects the immune system and may increase your risk of certain cancers.
Serious allergic reactions, including death, can happen with ACTEMRA. These reactions may happen with any infusion of ACTEMRA, even if they did not occur with an earlier infusion. Patients must tell their doctor if they have had a previous reaction to ACTEMRA. Patients should not take ACTEMRA if they are allergic to it or any of its ingredients.
Common side effects with ACTEMRA in patients with RA include upper respiratory tract infections (common cold, sinus infections), headache and increased blood pressure (hypertension).
Patients must tell their healthcare provider if they plan to become pregnant or are
pregnant. It is not known if ACTEMRA will harm an unborn baby. Genentech has a registry
for pregnant women who take ACTEMRA. Patients who are pregnant or become pregnant while
taking ACTEMRA must contact the registry at 1-877- 311-8972 or
register online
at https://www.otispregnancy.org/
forms/otis_survey-f161
and talk to their healthcare provider.
Patients must call their healthcare provider for medical advice about any side effects. Patients or caregivers may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. Patients or caregivers may also report side effects to Genentech at 1-888-835-2555.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide, for additional important safety information.
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