Inflammation is a critical response to potential danger signals and damage to organs in our body, which is orchestrated by our immune system. However, with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and many others, our immune system mistakenly turns against some of our own healthy cells, tissues and organs. These painful and debilitating conditions take an immense toll on people’s quality of life and many of these diseases are difficult to manage with existing treatments that may provide only symptomatic relief.

For decades, we have relied on steroids to suppress immune response. Though an important option, steroids come with many potentially harmful side effects.² Fortunately, science has continued to advance, and today we have the opportunity to transform the management of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases with new classes of therapies that target specific key proteins and pathways in the body.

As science evolves beyond broad immunosuppression and into more selective agents, patients living with autoimmune and inflammatory disease have new treatment options.