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Mercy rheumatologist Dr. Marlyn Lorenzo

Mercy Rheumatologist Dr. Marlyn Lorenzo Discusses New Drug Therapy For Rheumatoid Arthritis On WBAL's "Woman's Doctor"

A new drug therapy is helping rheumatoid arthritis patients manage the disorder.

Rheumatoid arthritis, a painful disorder that has no cure, affects women more often than men.

Deborah Franks was diagnosed after noticing her joints were beginning to bother her.

"The first symptom I had was waking up stiff and wondering why, and I started getting a lot of swelling," she said.

Franks said it took some time before she found the right medications to manage her pain.

"Before I got into a regime with my arthritis doctor I had, it was a lot of pain. Some days, I couldn't get out of bed," she said.

According to Mercy Medical Center rheumatologist Dr. Marlyn Lorenzo, some patients don't get relief from rheumatoid arthritis medications, so a new medicine called Actemra may help.

"It targets a protein that is very active in rheumatoid arthritis patients, so it's found in high concentrations in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and this medicine is going to block the effects of that protein in rheumatoid patients, decreasing the inflammation," Dr. Lorenzo said.

Like any medication, Actemra may have side effects, including an increased risk of infection, changes in blood count, liver problems, cholesterol changes or malignancies.

Dr. Lorenzo noted that it is crucial for patients on Actemra to be monitored by their doctors.

Actemra is an infusion, so it's given to the patient in an IV once a month. Each treatment takes about an hour and is usually covered by insurance.

To watch Dr. Lorenzo's interview on WBAL-TV11's "Woman's Doctor," click this link: http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/23268818/detail.html.