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American Morning
House Call: Rheumatoid Arthritis Affects 1 Percent of Americans
Aired March 06, 2003 - 07:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Making a "House Call" this morning to look at some of today's top health stories, our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gutpa.
Good morning.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Rheumatoid arthritis is the topic today. It affects 1 percent of people in the United States, and women are 2.5 times more likely to actually be affected by this very debilitating disease. This is not the wear-and-tear sort of arthritis. This is more of the chronic that can be a lifelong disease, often causing swelling of the small joints of the hands and the feet.
There are lots of different treatments out there. We've heard about some of them in the past -- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Cox-2 inhibitors, that's sort of a new generation of drugs. You can read the whole list there.
But, Paula, there is now controversy over a drug called Arava. That is one of the newest drugs -- it was one of the newest drugs in years when it was released by the FDA in 1998. This specific drug was controversial in part because it's been linked to liver failure. They know of about 54 cases or so where this drug may have actually been linked to liver failure. And for that reason, the FDA decided to re- review its status.
Their conclusion was that the drug should be continued to be marketed and continued to be sold and continued to have the same warnings that it's had for some time: that if someone is taking this drug, their liver functions need to be monitored, and that the doctors need to be aware about the possible associations between this and liver failure.
So, this is sort of a reminder. There is going to be no change in status of the drug, but rather just an acknowledgment that the FDA did review its status, and they're going to continue to go ahead and recommend its marketing -- Paula.
ZAHN: Are there any alternative treatments to consider that work?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, besides the ones that we've put on the screen, the other drugs sort of interestingly is a drug called nethotraxate (ph), which most people know of as a chemotherapeutic drug. But clinical trials have shown this particular medication to also have significant effects on the treatment -- again, the treatment, not the cure of rheumatoid arthritis.
So, all of those drugs treat the symptoms, but none of them are cures. That's still something that's also in the works -- Paula.
ZAHN: Sanjay, thanks for the update. Appreciate it.
GUTPTA: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Americans>
Aired March 6, 2003 - 07:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Making a "House Call" this morning to look at some of today's top health stories, our medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gutpa.
Good morning.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Rheumatoid arthritis is the topic today. It affects 1 percent of people in the United States, and women are 2.5 times more likely to actually be affected by this very debilitating disease. This is not the wear-and-tear sort of arthritis. This is more of the chronic that can be a lifelong disease, often causing swelling of the small joints of the hands and the feet.
There are lots of different treatments out there. We've heard about some of them in the past -- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Cox-2 inhibitors, that's sort of a new generation of drugs. You can read the whole list there.
But, Paula, there is now controversy over a drug called Arava. That is one of the newest drugs -- it was one of the newest drugs in years when it was released by the FDA in 1998. This specific drug was controversial in part because it's been linked to liver failure. They know of about 54 cases or so where this drug may have actually been linked to liver failure. And for that reason, the FDA decided to re- review its status.
Their conclusion was that the drug should be continued to be marketed and continued to be sold and continued to have the same warnings that it's had for some time: that if someone is taking this drug, their liver functions need to be monitored, and that the doctors need to be aware about the possible associations between this and liver failure.
So, this is sort of a reminder. There is going to be no change in status of the drug, but rather just an acknowledgment that the FDA did review its status, and they're going to continue to go ahead and recommend its marketing -- Paula.
ZAHN: Are there any alternative treatments to consider that work?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, besides the ones that we've put on the screen, the other drugs sort of interestingly is a drug called nethotraxate (ph), which most people know of as a chemotherapeutic drug. But clinical trials have shown this particular medication to also have significant effects on the treatment -- again, the treatment, not the cure of rheumatoid arthritis.
So, all of those drugs treat the symptoms, but none of them are cures. That's still something that's also in the works -- Paula.
ZAHN: Sanjay, thanks for the update. Appreciate it.
GUTPTA: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Americans>
