A new hope for patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

A new hope for patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis

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There is some new hope for patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. For the first time in a decade, an FDA advisory committee approved a new drug for R-A. The drug is called Tofacitinib. Since some patients taking this appear to resume normal lives, the FDA is expected to give final approval within months. R-A patient Karen Barkey says,

"At the beginning I think getting used to the medication was a little hard, it has some side effects".

That is the concern. Side effects can include an increased risk of lymphoma and elevated cholesterol; But the FDA panel decided today that the benefits of this new drug appear to outweigh the risk of possible side effects.

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