The anti-TNF (tumor necrosis factor) drugs, currently used for the treatment of chronic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are showing promising results in managing more number of diseases, claims Prof Ravinder Nath Maini, Head Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Division, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London. TNF blockade by using specific inhibitors is proving to be therapeutically effective in handling hepatitis, sclerosis, asthma, Ankylosing Spondylitis and many other diseases, he explained.
Delivering the keynote address "Bench to Bedside: Anti-TNF - A paradigm for biological targeted therapy" at the IX Annual Ranbaxy Science Foundation Symbosium here on January 3, 2003, Prof Maini considered anti-TNF drugs as the first example of a successful biological targeted therapy for chronic diseases. Other targeted therapies are in the pipeline, he said.
Prof Maini is a pioneer in identification of TNF blockade as an effective therapeutic principle in RA, whose hypothesis developed from pre-clinical research demonstrated the possibility to treat RA by using specific inhibitors to block the action of TNF. His contribution to the development of Infliximad, a blockbuster drug, which is a monoclonal antibody against TNF-alpha, is an example how innovative basic research combined with clinical application can transfer findings from basic molecular research to new effective treatment.
Prof Maini informed that the anti-TNF drugs, Infliximab of US based Centocor Inc., and Enbrel of Immunex Corporation together has been successfully administered to over 400,000 patients world over within last five years. He also claimed that the safety profiles of the drugs are holding extremely well. According to him, Infliximab alone had $1.7 billion turnover in 2001 and is supposed to have done $ 2.5 business in 2002. The number of patients so far treated with Infliximab was said to be over 3,00, 000.
Quoting a recent unpublished study involving 6,000 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in the European Union currently undergoing standard treatments, he said that more than 40% of them have active disease in spite of the treatment, which shows the scope of anti-TNF drugs in managing a common disease that affects one percent of the world population every year.
However the penetration of the therapy is much high in USA when compared to European countries due to the prohibitive cost of the treatment. Prof Maini said that$ 10, 000 is the annual cost of the therapy. While the penetration of the therapy among RA patients in US is 20% and expected to grow up to 40% during the current year, not many in other developed nations can afford the drug at the prevailing cost, he explained.
The scientists attending the symposium are Prof T K S Mukkur (Australia), Prof Rainer Fischer (Germany), Dr Satish Gupta, Prof Ashok Kumar, Prof Tamnath Misra, Dr A N Malviya, Dr Soniya Nityanand, Dr Ashok Seth, Dr Ramesh Nimmagadda, Prof Lalit Kumar, Dr Rajan Sriramanm, Prof P V Subbarao, Dr Koninika Ray, Dr Subrata Sinha and Dr Usha Sarma. The topics being covered include the use of antibodies in inflammation, infectious diseases and their production. Management of diseases like cancer, aplastic anaemia, transplant-related diseases, fertility control, inflammation and allergies using therapeutic antibodies are also discussed.
The event is to be followed by the Ranbaxy Research Award presentation ceremony where seven Indian scientists will be honoured for excellence in medical and pharmaceutical research. The symposium is co-sponsored by Immunology Foundation of India.