Chimeric Drugs For Arthritis and Psoriasis
Jun 26, 2011 17:58:13 GMT -5
Post by shann0 on Jun 26, 2011 17:58:13 GMT -5
Do you know what a "chimeric antibody" is? Well the pharmaceutical industry is putting these antibodies in popular prescription medicines used to treat common diseases such as Rheumetoid Arthritis and Psoriasis.
Recombinant DNA technology is used to create hybrid creatures with part human DNA / part mouse or hamster DNA. The antibodies are taken from these chimeric creatures, and made into "medicines".
Drugs such ans Enbrel, Humira and Remicade contain these mutant protiens. These three in particular obtain the antibodies by scraping the ovaries of chimeric hamster/ humans.
There are many more medicines containing these strange hybrid protiens, but these are some of the most used. If a drug you're taking has chimeric material in it, it shoud say so on the package insert that comes with your medication.
arthritis.about.com/od/enbrel/p/enbrelfacts.htm
Enbrel Belongs to What Drug Class?:
Enbrel (etanercept) is a biologic response modifier (recombinant human soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor fusion protein). Enbrel is genetically engineered to be like the receptors in the body which bind to tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). Enbrel works by soaking up excess TNF before it can attach to natural receptors.
TNF-alpha is a cytokine involved in the inflammatory process. Excess TNF-alpha has been associated with rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of inflammatory arthritis.
What Other Drugs are Similar to Enbrel?:
•Enbrel was the first anti-TNF drug and was approved in 1998.
•Remicade was the second TNF inhibitor to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1999.
•Humira was approved in 2002.
•Enbrel is derived by introducing human DNA into Chinese hamster ovary cells and creating a genetically engineered protein.
•Remicade uses human and mouse proteins to create a chimeric monoclonal antibody.
•Humira uses fully human proteins and phage display technology to produce monoclonal antibodies.
Recombinant DNA technology is used to create hybrid creatures with part human DNA / part mouse or hamster DNA. The antibodies are taken from these chimeric creatures, and made into "medicines".
Drugs such ans Enbrel, Humira and Remicade contain these mutant protiens. These three in particular obtain the antibodies by scraping the ovaries of chimeric hamster/ humans.
There are many more medicines containing these strange hybrid protiens, but these are some of the most used. If a drug you're taking has chimeric material in it, it shoud say so on the package insert that comes with your medication.
arthritis.about.com/od/enbrel/p/enbrelfacts.htm
Enbrel Belongs to What Drug Class?:
Enbrel (etanercept) is a biologic response modifier (recombinant human soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor fusion protein). Enbrel is genetically engineered to be like the receptors in the body which bind to tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). Enbrel works by soaking up excess TNF before it can attach to natural receptors.
TNF-alpha is a cytokine involved in the inflammatory process. Excess TNF-alpha has been associated with rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of inflammatory arthritis.
What Other Drugs are Similar to Enbrel?:
•Enbrel was the first anti-TNF drug and was approved in 1998.
•Remicade was the second TNF inhibitor to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1999.
•Humira was approved in 2002.
•Enbrel is derived by introducing human DNA into Chinese hamster ovary cells and creating a genetically engineered protein.
•Remicade uses human and mouse proteins to create a chimeric monoclonal antibody.
•Humira uses fully human proteins and phage display technology to produce monoclonal antibodies.