CDP-870 (certolizumab) in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

The development of biological anti-TNF-α therapy has revolutionised the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, and has identified a worldwide market for expensive yet effective therapies for chronic di-seases. Certolizumab (CDP-870) is a new agent that employs a novel strategy to neutralise TNF-α – namely the prokaryotic expression of TNF-α-specific Fab antibody fragments, coupled to polyethylene glycol – to produce a drug that is potentially less expensive to manufacture than other anti-TNF-α agents and which may be administered by subcutaneous injection once a month. The background to the ongoing development of this new agent and its clinical effects are discussed in this article.

• antibody
• certolizumab
• Crohn’s disease
• cytokine
• immunotherapy
• inflammatory arthritis
• rheumatoid arthritis
• therapy
• TNF-α