Approximately 1,000 adults in the UK give up work every year due to rheumatoid arthritis, as the disease can affect their wellness through the chronic pain and inflammation that it causes to joints. Just one infusion of binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) could be the difference between these sufferers being forced to give up work and being able to live a normal life.
A new trial will be carried out for this treatment, and is the first in-human trial of its kind and is being carried out under the careful supervision of researchers from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust as well as King’s College London. It is being funded in part by Arthritis Research UK.
Dr Valerie Corrigall from King’s College London pointed out that BiP was designed to be both effective and cost-effective, as most biologic therapies are extremely expensive.
The BiP will work by rebooting the body’s immune system. It is found in the joints of those who have rheumatoid arthritis but in quantities that are not sufficient to have a positive effect, which is why the extra BiP therapy is needed. The BiP is a natural anti-inflammatory response provided by the body, and this therapy just gives it an extra boost rather than introducing drugs or any other kind of foreign matter to the body.
The dose of BiP is given intravenously to quickly boost the body’s anti-inflammatory response to the rheumatoid arthritis. It also resets the immune system thereby giving it a long-lasting effect in the fight against the inflammation.
Just one dose of the BiP can effectively put the arthritis of patients into remission for months at a time, although further work is needed through the human trial which has just started.