CDP-870 (certolizumab) in rheumatoid arthritis

The development of biological anti-TNF-alpha therapy has revolutionised the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, and has identified a worldwide market for expensive yet effective therapies for chronic diseases. Certolizumab (CDP-870) is a new agent that employs a novel strategy to neutralise TNF-alpha - namely the prokaryotic expression of TNF-alpha-specific Fab antibody fragments, coupled to polyethylene glycol - to produce a drug that is potentially less expensive to manufacture than other anti-TNF-alpha agents and which may be administered by subcutaneous injection once a month. The background to the ongoing development of this new agent and its clinical effects are discussed in this article.