 Spectrum --
March 2008
 Introduction:
More than 80 autoimmune
disorders have been identified, all involving aberrant immune responses to
self-antigens. The emergence of biologic agents, such as the interferons and
the TNF-alpha inhibitors, has greatly improved the treatment outlook for some
of the more common autoimmune diseases. These agents have significant drawbacks,
however, including side effects and high costs. Pharmaceutical companies large
and small have already begun to focus their efforts on the molecular events
that trigger autoimmunity, a discovery process that, it is hoped, will reveal
new drug targets that suppress undesired autoimmune inflammatory responses in
some of the most common diseases.
Get the Answers You Need to Shape Your Strategy:
 Understanding the etiology of the different autoimmune
diseases will allow more successful diagnosis and treatment options. How
will the identification of genetic markers help to create new diagnostic tools?
Will these tools offer a greater chance for successful treatment, or even a
cure?
Biologic agents have greatly improved the treatment of many
autoimmune diseases, but these agents are expensive and carry the risk of
significant side effects. What new methods are being studied as both
treatments and curatives?
Earlier identification of autoimmune diseases could greatly
improve the quality of life for patients. What’s in store for the future of
autoimmune R&D? What companies already have trials under way?
Scope:
Pathophysiology and etiology: autoimmune disease is
caused by antibodies that attack normal tissue; the diseases can be
organ-specific or systemic; most autoimmune diseases are caused by genetic
and/or environmental factors.
Epidemiology: 2-8% of the U.S. population has some type of
autoimmune disease, and the prevalence of these diseases is increasing.
Novel approaches to treatment: targeted biologics, new
cell technologies, and novel treatment methods are the focus of current drug
discovery programs.
Unmet need creates opportunity for new therapies:
interferon-beta (for MS) and the TNF-alpha inhibitors offer significant benefit
over more traditional corticosteroid and DMARD treatments.
Potential curative therapies
on the horizon: cell therapies like
stem cell replacement and tolerization vaccines represent potential for cures.
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