Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives Anti TNF and other biological medications Thalidomide sub for Enbrel?

Anyone have any thoughts about this?

One-Year Open-Label Trial of Thalidomide in Ankylosing Spondylitis

According to the American College of Rheumatology Journal, Arthritis Care & Research (June 2002), researchers David Yu and colleagues from the University of California Los Angeles and the Chinese PLA General Hospital in China coordinated a study to find whether Thalidomide is potentially useful in treating patients with AS who have not responded to traditional treatment.

Thalidomide was the medication that caused an uproar in Europe in the 1960's when it was given to pregnant women as a sedative, and produced major deformities in their unborn children. As it turns out, Thalidomide is in a similar class of medication to infliximab (RemicadeÒ) and etanercept (EnbrelÒ), which are Tumor Necrosis Factor - alpha blockers.

Results: Thirty male patients with AS were recruited into the 12 month open study. Each patient took 200 mg of Thalidomide per day. While 80% showed at least a 20% improvement, nine patients became completely pain-free. From the results of this study, the researchers concluded that Thalidomide is a reasonably promising drug in treatment-resisting AS patients.



Frankie

Wow!! I'll be watching for more information on this. Enbrel has partially given me my life back, but after the trials, I'll be back to trying to escape the pain. I can't take NSAID's or DMARD's. And Enbrel and Remicade are far too expensive to be a practical long-term solution for me.

Hugs,

Cindy

Hopefully over time the price will drop along with the waiting list. I cant understand why the last letter said it would be at least December before Enbrel is ready. How long does it take to build a building get it approved and bred hampsters for gods sake! By the way thanks for the response.

Take care

Frankie

Thank you Evelyn,

As usual your information is dead on! There does seem to be a glimmer of hope for the future without Enbrel. I will be starting Remicade/MTX in Sep. but it is nice to know there are choices that produce good results and at a much lower cost too.

Thanks again and take care



Frankie

All I can say, at least Anklyosing Spondilyditis is being studied with varies drugs. I feel that there is hope at the end of the tunnel. I am on Kineret shots, my doctor say that its for RA patients but who know its might help me. So far, I have felt better then ever. I am still on the waiting list for Enbrel. My rhuemy also suggested that if Kineret didn't do the job he wants to try Remicade. Like I said, I am just glad that I am on the road to better functioning and that after all those years 12years to be exact. This AS was not just all in my head. No credit to my X-wife either. I hope the best to all AS'er. May the best drug win over AS.

Dan