Expert review of clinical immunology
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Expert Rev Clin Immunol · Feb 2015
ReviewTeriflunomide for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
Teriflunomide, a once-daily, oral disease-modifying therapy, is a valuable new treatment option for the management of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. This article reviews key efficacy and safety data arising from pivotal teriflunomide studies that demonstrate the utility in treating both treatment-naïve patients and those previously treated with another disease-modifying therapy who, for a variety of reasons, may require an alternative treatment.
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Expert Rev Clin Immunol · Feb 2015
ReviewBelimumab for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Given their pivotal role in autoantibody production, B-cells have become an attractive therapeutic target in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Belimumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody against B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS), a B-cell survival factor, was licensed in 2011 for the treatment of autoantibody-positive SLE. The BLISS-52 and BLISS-76 Phase III trials successfully demonstrated that belimumab (10 mg/kg) with standard therapy significantly decreased disease activity in SLE patients compared to placebo with standard therapy. ⋯ While the BLISS-52 and BLISS-76 studies are the largest clinical trials in SLE to date, they mainly focused on musculoskeletal, mucocutaneous, hematologic and general constitutional features of the disease. Patients with severe lupus nephritis and severe central nervous system disease were excluded from these trials. Studies of belimumab in lupus nephritis are ongoing that may clarify the role of this agent in the clinical management of SLE.
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Expert Rev Clin Immunol · Jan 2015
Editorial ReviewUtilizing social networks, blogging and YouTube in allergy and immunology practices.
Online social networks are used to connect with friends and family members, and increasingly, to stay up-to-date with the latest news and developments in allergy and immunology. As communication is a central part of healthcare delivery, the utilization of such networking channels in allergy and immunology will continue to grow. ⋯ There is a paucity of information in the literature on how social network interventions affect patient outcomes. The allergy and immunology community should direct future studies towards investigating how the use of social networks and other technology tools and services can improve patient care.
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Expert Rev Clin Immunol · Jan 2015
ReviewThe evolution of allergen and non-specific immunotherapy: past achievements, current applications and future outlook.
Recent epidemiological studies estimated that more than 30% of European suffer from allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis, while up to 20% suffer from asthma and 15% from allergic skin conditions, while for many other regions the prevalence is increasing. Allergen immunotherapy represents the only available treatment that can modify the allergic disease process, and thus is worth considering as a treatment in affected individuals. A beneficial effect of allergen immunotherapy has been shown in both adults and children affected by allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic asthma and hymenoptera venom allergy. The present study represents an overview on allergen immunotherapy, focusing on the principal aspects of the use of immunotherapy in the past, its recent clinical applications and future outlook.
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Expert Rev Clin Immunol · Jan 2015
ReviewScientific rationale behind the development and approval of biosimilar infliximab (CT-P13) in Europe.
Biosimilars are drugs developed to be highly similar to their originator biologic (or 'reference medicinal product') with no clinically meaningful differences in purity, efficacy or safety. Production of biologics and biosimilars is highly complex and sensitive, with any change in manufacturing process having a potential impact on efficacy and safety. ⋯ The scientific rationale underlying the regulatory comparability exercise for process-changed reference medicinal products and biosimilars is also discussed, as is the issue of 'switchability' from a reference medicinal product to its biosimilar. CT-P13 (Remsima(®), Inflectra(®)), a biosimilar of infliximab, is used as a case study to discuss these issues.