If any back pain information blog readers are using adalimubab as a treatment for their sciatica you may well find this article by Janice Kelly on the medscape.com website of some interest. You need to sign up for a free account for medscape if you don't have one, but it's a good site and well worth while with lots of good information.
For those of us (myself included) who don't know much about this drug I'll give you this brief description from the arthritisresearchuk.org website:
"Adalimubab (brand name Humira) is a type of drug known as anti-TNF (anti-tumour necrosis factor). In people with rheumatoid arthritis and some other inflammatory diseases a protein called TNF is overproduced in the body, causing inflammation and damage to bones, cartilage and tissue. Anti-TNF drugs block the action of TNF and so can reduce this inflammation".
If you want to learn more about it then I recommend going to their webpage here.
Anyway, there has been an ongoing trial of Adalimubab in Switzerland, by Dr. Genevay, from the Division of Rheumatology at University Hospitals of Geneva.
The follow up data from this trial after three years has shown no difference in leg pain or back pain in the treated versus placebo groups. They did however find a significant decrease in the need for back surgery. An impressive 61% decrease in fact.
The results are, as one would expect, controversial, and the study has it's detractors. But this is interesting stuff and could well lead to useful treatments in the future.
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