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Remicade

Brand- Name Remicade Generic Name Infliximab Company Johnson & Johnson, Schering-Plough, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Disease/Medical Use Crohn's disease, Rheumatoid arthritis First Approval Date Aug-1998

Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody against TNFa. It is used to treat autoimmune diseases. Remicade is marketed by Centocor in the USA, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma in Japan, Xian Janssen in China, and Schering-Plough elsewhere. Centocor was purchased by Johnson & Johnson in 1998 after the initial FDA approval of Infliximab (for Crohn's disease).

Infliximab has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of psoriasis, Crohn's disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis. Infliximab won its initial approval by the FDA for the treatment of Crohn's disease in August 1998.

Infliximab works by binding to tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFa). TNFa is a chemical messenger (cytokine) and a key part of the autoimmune reaction. firstly, it was assumed that Infliximab works by blocking the action of TNFa by preventing it from binding to its receptor in the cell, and for the action of infliximab in rheumatoid arthritis. This still seems to be true. However, another TNFa-neutralizing medication, etanercept (Enbrel), is worse than a placebo in Crohn's disease and thus TNFa-neutralisation is not responsible for its powerful action in the latter disease. As infliximab causes programmed cell death of TNFa-expressing activated T lymphocytes, an important cell type mediating inflammation, but Enbrel does not have this activity, now it is generally assumed that resolution of activated T cells by Infliximab explains its efficacy in Crohn's disease.

Infliximab is an antibody that blocks the effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha). Infliximab is administered by intervenous infusion. There are two other injectable drugs that block TNF alpha--adalimumab(Humira) and etanercept (Enbrel). TNF is a substance made by cells of the body which has an important role in promoting inflammation. Specifically, infliximab is used for treating the inflammation of Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. By blocking the action of TNF-alpha, infliximab reduces the signs and symptoms of inflammation. Infliximab does not cure Crohn's disease, psoriatic arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis; however, preliminary studies have demonstrated that infliximab can retard the destruction of joints by rheumatoid arthritis.Brand