Rheumatoid arthritis medication may also effective for treating a rare eye disease read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/1224-rheumatoid-arthritis-medication-may-also-effective-for-treating-a-rare-eye-disease

A new research has found that, a well-known rheumatoid arthritis medication containing the active agent adalimumab, a therapeutic human monoclonal antibody is effective for treating non-infectious uveitis, a rare eye disease. 

This has been discovered by one of the researchers Talin Barisani-Asenbauer from Medical University of Vienna in Austria.

Researchers said, we were able to prospectively demonstrate for the very first time that non-infectious uveitis can also be successfully treated with a cortisol-free medication.

The biologic medication adalimumab has long been used to treat rheumatic diseases and has to be injected subcutaneously every two weeks. For sufferers, steroid-free means there are fewer side-effects, so that it can be used over a longer period of time.

Barisani-Asenbauer explains that will significantly improve the management of uveitis patients who have only partially responded to corticosteroids, need a corticosteroid sparing therapy or who are unsuitable for treatment with corticosteroids.

In Europe, up to 5/10,000 people suffer from some form of uveitis. Non-anterior, non-infectious uveitis, affects around 40% of sufferers.

Uveitis is the name used for inflammatory conditions of the inner eye, in particular the uvea, which consists of the iris and the ciliary body in the front section and the choroid in the back section.

Inflammation can also affect other parts of the eye, such as the retina and the vitreous body. The symptoms are floaters in the visual field, blurred vision, visual disturbances and photo sensitivity. Potential complications of uveitis are macular oedema (accumulation of fluid in the retina), glaucoma or cataracts.