Bell Sally
Biotechnol Healthc. 2006 Dec;3(6):24-8.
Earlier biologic therapies for rheumatoid arthritis represented a breakthrough in treatment of the disease, but there are still some patients who do not respond adequately to them. The market entry of abatacept, which allows for consistent dosing and predictable drug-acquisition costs, presents patients, physicians, and third-party payers with an effective alternative - the first therapy proven to be effective in patients with inadequate response to DMARDs such as methotrexate or anti-TNF-alpha therapies.