Biological therapies

Nowadays, the Biological Therapy Unit of the Rheumatology Service at Reina Sofía University Hospital administers immunotherapy to more than 600 patients with rheumatoid pathologies as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Spondyloarthritis, and other Autoinmune Diseases. These biological therapies are selected for patients who do not respond adequately to conventional treatments and these are administered intravenously and subcutaneously. The biological therapy promotes that chronic patients spend long asymptomatic periods, with a reduction of the disease outbreaks. Thus, biological therapies allow a good control of these diseases, as well as a good prognosis and quality of life of these patients and, therefore, a modern and effective alternative in cases of difficult control of the rheumatologic diseases.

Currently, the following treatments are administered at the Biological Therapy Unit:

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis: TNF- antagonists (Adalimumab, Golimumab, Infliximab, Etanercept, Certolizumab), Abatacept, Tocilizumab, Rituximab.
    • Adalimumab: Monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to TNF-alpha and neutralizes its biological function by blocking its interaction with the p55 and p75 cell surface TNF receptors.
    • Golimumab: Monoclonal antibody that forms high affinity, stable complexes with the soluble and transmembrane bioactive forms of human TNF-, thus preventing the binding of TNF- to its receptors.
    • Infliximab: Chimeric monoclonal antibody biologic drug derived from mouse that binds with high affinity to both soluble and transmembrane forms of TNF-.
    • Etanercept: It is a soluble TNF- antagonist that competitively inhibits the interaction of TNF- with cell-surface receptors.
    • Certolizumab pegol: Biological drug that neutralizes human TNF-.
    • Abatacept: A drug that selectively modulates a key costimulatory signal required for full activation of T-lymphocytes expressing CD28.
    • Tocilizumab: Biological dug that specifically binds to the receptors of the IL-6, both soluble and membrane-bound (IL-6Rs e IL-6Rm) and inhibit signaling mediated for both receptors.
    • Rituximab: Chimeric anti-CD20 antibody that induces apoptosis in B lymphocytes.
  • Spondyloarthritis: TNF- antagonists, Secukinumab, Ustekinumab, Apremilast.
    • Secukinumab: Human monoclonal antibody that selectively binds and neutralizes the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-17A (IL-17A).
    • Ustekinumab: Biological drug that binds to the p40 subunit common to IL-12 and IL-23 and prevents their interaction with the IL-12 receptor 1 subunit of the IL-12 and IL-23 receptor complexes.
    • Apremilast: Drug that inhibits phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4).
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Belimumab.
    • Belimumab: Human monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the soluble form of the human B-cell stimulatory protein.