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Fast Breaking Comments

By Jonathan C.W. Edwards

ESI Special Topics, June 2005
Citing URL - http://www.esi-topics.com/fbp/2005/june05-JonathanCWEdwards.html

Jonathan C.W. Edwards answers a few questions about this month's fast breaking paper in the field of Clinical Medicine.

From •>>June 2005  

Field: Clinical Medicine
Article Title: Efficacy of B-cell-targeted therapy with rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
 Authors: Edwards, JCW;Szczepanski, L;Szechinski, J;Filipowicz-Sosnowska, A;Emery, P;Close, DR;Stevens, RM;Shaw, T
Journal: N ENGL J MED
Volume: 350
Page: 2572-2581
Year: JUN 17 2004
* Univ Coll London, Ctr Rheumatol, 4th Fl, Arthur Stanley House, 40-50 Tottenham St, London W1P 9PG, England.
* Univ Coll London, Ctr Rheumatol, London W1P 9PG, England.
* Med Univ Sch Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
* Univ Sch Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland.
* Inst Rheumatol, Warsaw, Poland.
* Leeds Royal Infirm, Leeds, W Yorkshire, England.
* Roche Prod Ltd, Welwyn Garden City AL7 3AY, Herts, England.
* Roche, Nutley, NJ USA.

ST:  Why do you think your paper is highly cited?

It describes major efficacy of a new approach to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

ST:  Does it describe a new discovery or a new methodology that's useful to others?

It describes the new discovery of an alternative and powerful approach to treatment, scheduled for licensing within the next year or so.

ST:  Could you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has in the past been hit or miss, with some cases maintained free of symptoms but many with only partial benefit. Treatments have been on a continuous basis. New drugs such as Enbrel® and Remicade® have improved the situation in the last few years but have to be given frequently and do not help all patients. B-cell depletion therapy is given approximately once a year in our hands and shows positive results in many patients unable to benefit from existing drugs. It appears to be as safe as other treatments.

ST:  How did you become involved in this research?

I was responsible for initiating B-cell targeting in rheumatoid arthritis and it was on the basis of the results of my independent pilot studies that we set up the study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.End

Jonathan C.W. Edwards
Professor in Connective Tissue Medicine
University College London
London, UK

ESI Special Topics, June 2005
Citing URL - http://www.esi-topics.com/fbp/2005/june05-JonathanCWEdwards.html

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