Table 1 Update on biologic therapy in autoimmune diseases

Tocilizumab (Actemra)

Recombinant monoclonal IgG1 anti-human interleukin 6-receptor antibody

[1]

RA after treatment failure with anti-TNF,¹ SJIA¹[5–7]

Rituximab (Rituxan)

Chimeric human monoclonal antibody against the CD20 protein [12]

RA,¹ WG, MPA. Off-label use: ITP, refractory pemphigus vulgaris [13–23]

Ofatumumab (Arzerra)

Fully human monoclonal antibody directed against membrane proximal epitope on the CD20 molecule [25]

RA,¹[24, 25]

Belimumab (Benlysta)

Human monoclonal immunoglobulin IgG1 gamma, which binds to and inhibits the soluble form of the BLyS protein [27, 28]

SLE¹[26, 27]

Epratuzumab (Lymphocide)

IgG1 monoclonal antibody directed against the CD22molecule [29, 30]

SLE, Sjögren’s syndrome [28–30]

Abatacept (Orencia)

CTLA-4 IgG1 binding to CD80/86 on antigen-presenting cells inhibiting the co-stimulation of CD28 on the T cells [32]

RA,¹ JIA,¹ SLE – discoid, serositis and arthritis manifestations [31–35]

Golimumab (Simponi)

IgG1 monoclonal antibody, acting on TNF-α, both soluble and membrane-bound [37]

RA,¹ PsA,¹ AS¹[36–40]

Certolizumab (Cimzia)

Pegylated humanized antibody Fab^′ fragment of the TNF-α monoclonal antibody [42]

RA¹[41, 42]

Sifalimumab

An anti-IFN-α monoclonal antibody [44]

Phase III trial [43, 44]

Intravenous immunoglobulin

Pool of immunoglobulins from healthy individuals. Many mechanisms involved [48, 49]

SLE, systemic sclerosis, vasculitis [49, 50]

Anakinra (Kineret), canakinumab (Ilaris), rilonocept (Arcalyst)

All three are interleukin-1 blockers

RA, CAPS [45–47]