Remicade, the trade name for infliximab, produces dramatic results when used with methotrexate, the current gold standard for rheumatoid arthritis treatment, the drug's maker says. Remicade is made by Centocor, Inc., whose U.S. base is in Malvern, Penn. The most notable finding is that the drug stops the progression of the disease and inhibits the progression of structural damage. About 2.1 million Americans, mostly women, suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, a disease caused when the body's immune system selectively attacks healthy joint tissue.
Joint membranes become inflamed, causing pain, stiffness, warmth, redness and swelling.
But pain and discomfort are only two consequences of rheumatoid arthritis. The inflammation may release enzymes that eat away at bone and cartilage, causing joints to lose shape and alignment. It's an autoimmune disease, and its true underlying cause is just not known. We also don't know why these two interacting drugs are working. Findings appear in the December issue of The New England Journal of Medicine .