Summary Table of Medication
PrintThe following tables give an overview of some key facts about medication used to treat JIA (in alphabetical order). To find out more about these individual drugs, click on the drug name to go to our article about that drug.
Standard DMARDs and biologic drugs are slow-release drugs, so can take a few weeks to start to work (up to around 12 weeks, though improvement may be felt some time before then).
Standard disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
| Drug name | How the drug is taken | How it works | Are blood tests mandatory? |
| Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) | Tablet | Reduces over activity of the immune system | No |
| Methotrexate (MTX) | Liquid, tablet, syringe | Reduces over activity of the immune system | Yes – regularly |
| Sulfasalazine (SSZ) | Tablet | Reduces over activity of the immune system | Yes – initially regularly, then less frequently |
Biologic drugs
| Drug name | How the drug is taken | How it works | Are blood tests mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abatacept (ABA) | Infusion | Reduces over activity of the immune system by targeting T-cells | Yes- every 3 months |
| Adalimumab (ADA) | Syringe or pen | Reduces over activity of the immune system by targeting TNFα cells | Yes- every 3 months initially |
| Etanercept (ETN) | Syringe or pen – can be once or twice weekly | Reduces over activity of the immune system by targeting TNFα cells | Yes- every 3 months initially |
| Tocilizumab (TCZ) | Infusion or subcutaneously In sJIA patients weighing less than 30kg: 162mg every 2 weeks Weighing 30kg or more: 162 mg weekly | Reduces over activity of the immune system by targeting IL6 cells | Yes- every 3 months initially |
Newly developed biologic drugs (only available from some specialist centres)
| Drug name | How the drug is taken | How it works | Are blood tests mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canakinumab | Syringe | Reduces overactivity of the immune system by targeting IL1 cells | Yes- every 3 months initially |
Updated: 24/12/2019