I haven't been doing too well at writing this blog this year. Too much life happening, which is better than too much illness happening.
Anyway, there has been big news in Crohn's land today. The chemists who did the ground work for biological drugs like Humira were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry today.
https://crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/news/nobel-prize-awarded-to-scientists-whose-work-led-to-adalimumab
This is a seriously huge deal. Not only are diseases like Crohn's getting a lot of press from this, but it is also highlighting the future of treatment for people who autoimmune disorders.
Humira and similar drugs are not without their problems; I've written about my experience loads on here. But when they work, they really really work. And they are considered treatment of last resort because of their cost.
The thing is, it is false economy to throw generic immunosuppressants that weren't developed with IBD in mind at people with IBD. They either end up cycling through different drugs due to bad reactions, cycle through steroid treatment during flares ups or repeatedly end up in A&E or on the surgeons table. The cost of my almost five years on Humira still doesn't equal the cost of an ostomy, long term post surgical complications or being too sick to work.
Yes, it is expensive, yes, it has risks, and biological drugs are totally sci-fi. But they also show that the future is now.
Anyway, there has been big news in Crohn's land today. The chemists who did the ground work for biological drugs like Humira were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry today.
https://crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/news/nobel-prize-awarded-to-scientists-whose-work-led-to-adalimumab
This is a seriously huge deal. Not only are diseases like Crohn's getting a lot of press from this, but it is also highlighting the future of treatment for people who autoimmune disorders.
Humira and similar drugs are not without their problems; I've written about my experience loads on here. But when they work, they really really work. And they are considered treatment of last resort because of their cost.
The thing is, it is false economy to throw generic immunosuppressants that weren't developed with IBD in mind at people with IBD. They either end up cycling through different drugs due to bad reactions, cycle through steroid treatment during flares ups or repeatedly end up in A&E or on the surgeons table. The cost of my almost five years on Humira still doesn't equal the cost of an ostomy, long term post surgical complications or being too sick to work.
Yes, it is expensive, yes, it has risks, and biological drugs are totally sci-fi. But they also show that the future is now.
No comments:
Post a Comment