Diplomat Pharmacy offers new rheumatoid arthritis treatment

Approximately 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
Approximately 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. | File photo

Diplomat Pharmacy Inc. is now filling prescriptions for KEVZARA (sarilumab), an FDA-approved medication for the treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients who are intolerant to or not receiving enough of a response from other disease modifying antirheumatic drugs.

KEVZARA is a 200 mg. medication to be taken once every two weeks by a subcutaneous injection. It can be used as monotherapy or with methotrexate or other DMARDs, and functions by acting as an antagonist to interleukin-6 receptors.

The Arthritis Foundation states that approximately 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. suffer from RA and that women are 2 to 3 times more likely to experience RA symptoms than men are. While RA can affect individuals beginning in their 30s to 60s, most individuals do not experience noticeable symptoms until their 60s.'

"Sarilumab offers RA patients a new therapeutic choice to assist in the management of their condition," Diplomat Preisdent Paul Urick said.

KEVZARA has been developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi.