JW Pharmaceutical said Wednesday that Actemra (Ingredient name: Tosylchemum) is the bio-antibody treatment most frequently prescribed as a remedy for rheumatoid arthritis.

Actemra inhibits the combination of IL-6, a protein that induces inflammation in the body, with its receptor, and is regarded as an effective antibody therapy for treating IL-6-related diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

The Korean Rheumatism Association published the results of the study that begun in December 2013 and continued for about two years, at 47 centers in the nation where patients began to take biological treatment for rheumatoid arthritis or switched to another biological agent.

According to the results of the study, 801 patients were prescribed biological agent for the first time, 228 patients were switched to another drug once, and 89 patients were switched twice. Out of the total 1,118 patients, the largest number of 297 patients received JW Pharmaceutical's Actemra (26.6 percent), followed by Humira with 229 (20.5 percent) and Enbrel with 194 (17.4 percent).

Of the 317 patients who changed to other biological products, 131 (41.3 percent) were found to have prescribed Actemra. The reason for switching drugs was the lack of effectiveness (75.3 percent) and side effects (14.5 percent).

"When tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inflammatory effects are missing, there is an increasing number of choices for drugs that have other mechanisms, particularly those that target IL-6," said Professor Shin Ki-cheol of Seoul National University. "This experience seems to have resulted in the selection of Actemra as the first biological agent.”

JW Pharmaceutical said it was encouraged by the result. "There are various conditions for selecting a biological agent, but the first choice is important because the biological agent administered early may affect not only the prognosis but also the quality of life of the patient," a company official said. "Based on the results of this study, we plan to carry out various marketing activities that emphasize the excellence of Actemra.”

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