Approval has recently been given for a drug that will relieve the suffering in a variety of arthritic diseases including a particular aggressive condition known as ankylosing spondylitis, which effects the spine.
The company Johnston & Johnston received the endorsement of the Food and Drug Administration for Simponi, a medicine that is injected on usually monthly basis and is designed to work alongside other drugs in this field.
Simponi is following on from another drug called Remicade which is jointly marketed in Europe by another large company the Schering-Plough Corporation. It works by defusing the specific protein that leads to damage to tissue, bone and cartilage when it reaches over load.
This new drug is seen as setting the bar for tumor necrosis factor blocking and is set to make the two manufacturers many billion of dollars. In fact it is the main reason that Schering-Plough was recently bought out by Merck & Company for a reputed forty billion dollars.
Other companies, who are involved in this drug sector, may not be as happy with Simponi arrival on the market place.
Both Abbott laboratories, Wyeth and Amgen have medicine that requires a weekly dose as opposed to the new blockbuster which requires only twelve injections per year.
The F.D.A. approval will bring much relief to people suffering from the very painful and debilitating diseases such as rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. These conditions affect many millions of Americans, causing much pain and suffering and can be diagnosed in all age groups.
