Highly effective and well tolerated: the anti-inflammatory medication golimumab, known under the trade name Simponi®, is a valuable treatment option for patients with rheumatic diseases as well as chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.
TNFα-blockers such as infliximab and adalimumab have significantly improved the treatment options for patients with inflammatory diseases. They are used especially if prior treatments with glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants were unsuccessful. The effectiveness of these biologics is based on a monoclonal antibody, which binds with the tumor necrosis factor (TNFα). This inhibits TNFα, which is involved in the origin of inflammations, and the inflammations are decreased. Due to the highly specific binding with TNFα, TNFα-blockers also have a more targeted effect than conventional medications.
About ten years ago golimumab expanded the range of the TNFα-blockers. As the first TNFα-blocker that only has to be injected once per month, it constitutes a great advantage for patients. It has proven very effective in studies, and it is used successfully to treat the following diseases:
- Rheumatoid arthritis – the most common inflammatory disease of the joints, which affects roughly 0.5–1 % of the population worldwide
- Psoriasis arthritis – an inflammatory joint disease that often manifests with psoriasis
- Axial spondyloarthritis – an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and pain in the spinal column
- Ulcerative colitis – a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that manifests with inflammation and ulcers in the intestinal mucosa
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis – a rare rheumatic disease that manifests in childhood
Golimumab is administered by subcutaneous injection. In order to ensure a successful treatment, the treatmentshould be accompanied by monitoring. Therapeutic medication monitoring is important since due to individual pharmacokinetics the drug level can vary widely from patient to patient in spite of equal dosage. Measurement of the drug level enables the treating physician to supervise the treatment and if needed to optimize it. Hence for long-lasting effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treatment, medication monitoring is essential.
