ORENCIA is the first in a class of biologics for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that works in a different way than other RA treatments to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and slow the progression of joint damage.
Important Safety Information: Hepatitis B Infection
If you are a carrier of the hepatitis B virus (a virus that affects the liver), the virus can become active while you use ORENCIA. Your healthcare provider may do a blood test before you start or while using ORENCIA.
It all starts with your immune system
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease of the immune system. Your immune system is made up of a complex network of cells. One type of cell found within the immune system is called a T cell.
Why T cells are important in RA
When T cells are activated (or "turned on"), they start a chain of events that is believed to lead to the inflammation (swelling), pain, and damage associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
ORENCIA works at the T-cell level
ORENCIA works early in the rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory process at the T-cell level, and can reduce the activity of your T cells, which reduces the activation of other cells in the rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory process.
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