The clinical efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol in rheumatoid arthritis.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD: The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has changed dramatically over the past 25 years, first with the introduction of methotrexate and then the introduction of biologic therapy. These agents have provided patients with multiple treatment options to try to achieve disease remission. Unfortunately, no one single agent is fully effective in every patient; different patients respond to different therapies, even those with the same mechanism of action, in different ways. Another medication, such as certolizumab pegol, is a welcome addition to our treatment armamentarium of rheumatoid arthritis. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW: The basis of this review is all the peer-reviewed manuscripts found in PubMed and Medline searches from 1990 to 2009 and abstracts on certolizumab pegol presented at the American College of Rheumatology and European League Against Rheumatism within the past 5 years. WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN: This review should enable the reader to fully understand the benefit:risk ratio of certolizumab pegol in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Certolizumab pegol is an effective agent either in combination with methotrexate or as monotherapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with a safety profile similar to other approved TNF inhibitors.