In Janice's email she listed: 'Arthritis patients denied drugs Reuters'
This referred to anti-TNF which has been available in the UK since 2002. I have rheumatoid arthritis and I'm not treated with anti-TNF, but I'm not being denied it. The team that deals with me only offer it to those who don't respond to other forms of treatment. The reason is that it has to be self-injected and all injection sites carry the risk of infection. Because RA is a 'mal-function' of the immune system they'd prefer that patients don't risking infection of it's not necessary. The team discussed treatment with anti-TNF with me because my RA is quite difficult to control, and it was my decision to continue to be treated with other drugs.
I'm part of a research program into the genetic factor of RA and into the long-term effects of the various drugs used to treat it.
Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK
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