Humira Provides Effective, Non-Steroid Alternative for Eye Inflammation

Contact: Amara Omeokwe Phone: [phone] Email:[e-mail]://www.dukehealth.orgHumira Provides Effective, Non-Steroid Alternative for Eye InflammationEMBARGOED FOR RELEASE until 5 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, September 7, 2016DURHAM, N.C. -- Patients suffering from noninfectious uveitis, a group of diseases that causes eye inflammation, can get effective treatment from a corticosteroid alternative that has previously been approved for treatment of arthritis and Crohn ’s disease, according to a study led by a Duke Health researcher.The Food& Drug Administration recently approved the additional use of adalimumab (sold as Humira) for patients with noninfectious uveitis. Corticosteroids have traditionally been the only FDA-approved treatment for these diseases, although some doctors had prescribed adalimumab off-label.The FDA ’s approval is limited to treatment of the three types of noninfectious uveitis that pose the greatest threat of vision loss.Glenn Jaffe, M.D., a professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Duke University School of Medicine, said adalimumab works to treat uveitis by targeting a protein that is thought to promote inflammation. Jaffe led one of two clinical studies that formed the basis of the FDA ’s approval and was senior author of the study appearing Sept. 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).“Patients may have many unwanted side effects when taking steroids long-term, as many uveitis patients do,” Jaffe said. “T...

Source: DukeHealth.org: Duke Health Features - September 8, 2016 Category: Pediatrics Tags: Duke Medicine Source Type: news