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Treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis with certolizumab pegol after failure of diseasemodifying antirheumatic drugs: a report of two cases

Mario Newton Leitao de Azevedo

Rheumatoid arthritis is a severe systemic inflammatory disease, characterized by polyarticular synovitis and subsequent structural changes to the cartilage. Diagnosis and treatment in the early disease stages are extremely important, as disease evolution may cause articular deformities, leading to patient disability, worsened Quality of Life (QoL), and reduced survival. The main treatment objectives include decreasing the inflammatory process, controlling or blocking the evolution of osteoarticular lesions, and improving patient QoL. This article describes the evolution of two patients diagnosed with early rheumatoid arthritis with very aggressive characteristics and who, upon failure of treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, successfully underwent therapy with certolizumab pegol.