Abatacept 87.5mg/0.7ml solution for injection pre-filled syringes

Abatacept is the first in a new class of drugs known as Selective Co-stimulation Modulators. Known as a recombinant fusion protein, the drug consists of the extracellular domain of human cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) linked to a modified Fc portion of human immunoglobulin G₁ (IgG₁. The Fc portion of the drug consists of the hinge region, the C_H2 domain, and the C_H3 domain of IgG₁. Although there are multiple pathways and cell types involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, evidence suggests that T-cell activation may play an important role in the immunopathology of the disease. Ordinarily, full T-cell activation requires binding of the T-cell receptor to an antigen-MHC complex on the antigen-presenting cell as well as a co-stimulatory signal provided by the binding of the CD28 protein on the surface of the T-cell with the CD80/86 proteins on the surface of the antigen-presenting cell. CTLA4 is a naturally occurring protein which is expressed on the surface of T-cells some hours or days after full T-cell activation and is capable of binding to CD80/86 on antigen-presenting cells with much greater affinity than CD28. Binding of CTLA4-Ig to CD80/86 provides a negative feedback mechanism which results in T-cell deactivation. Abatacept was developed by Bristol-Myers-Squibb and is licensed in the US for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis in the case of inadequate response to anti-TNF-alpha therapy.