Panelists/Lectures
What You Should Know About Treating Early RA
Nathan Wei, MD
Clinical Director
Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center
Frederick, Md.

A Closer Look At The Efficacy And Safety Of Combination Therapy With Anti-TNF Agents
Philip Mease, MD
Clinical Professor
University of Washington
School of Medicine
Chief, Rheumatology Clinical Research
Swedish Hospital Medical Center
Seattle

What The Studies Reveal About Emerging Therapies For RA
Salahuddin Kazi, MD
Chief of Rheumatology
Presbyterian Hospital
Dallas,Tx.

---

Target Audience
This activity is for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, rheumatologists and internal medicine physicians who treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

---

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

• Cite current statistics on the prevalence of RA.
• Discuss potential complications associated with RA and the importance of early detection and treatment.
• Explain the recent shift from monotherapy to increased use of combination therapy for earlier treatment of RA.
• Review findings from recent studies on the use of etanercept, adalimumab and infliximab in combination with methotrexate for treating RA.
• Discuss findings from studies on the long-term efficacy of etanercept and adalimumab in treating RA.
• Review the safety profiles and contraindications of etanercept, adalimumab and infliximab.
• Describe the mechanisms of recently approved b-cell and t-cell targeted therapies for RA.
• Discuss the safety profiles and contraindications of rituximab and abatacept.
• Review recent studies on the use of abatacept, rituximab, certolizumab pegol and tocilizumab in treating RA.

---

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Genentech and Biogen Idec.
This activity is sponsored by the North American Center For Continuing Medical Education (NACCME).

---

Accreditation:

MD/DO:
This activity is sponsored by the North American Center for Continuing Medical Education (NACCME). NACCME is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. NACCME designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This activity has been planned and produced in accordance with the ACCME Essential Areas and Policies.

Nurses:
ANCC: NACCME is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the PA State Nurses Association for 1 contact hours. Provider #: 110-3-E-06. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 13255 for 1 contact hour.

---

Off-Label/Unapproved Usage Disclosure. This educational activity contains discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Neither NACCME, Roche nor Genentech recommends the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

---

Disclosures:
All those with control over the content of continuing education programs sponsored by NACCME are expected to disclose whether they do or do not have any real or apparent conflict(s) of interest or other relationships related to the content of their presentation(s). It is not assumed that these relationships will have an adverse impact on presentations; they are simply noted here to fully inform participants.

Dr. Kazi has disclosed that he has received grant/research support from Abbott Labs and Centocor. He is a consultant to Wyeth, Amgen and Genetech. He is a member of the speakers’ bureau for Genentech/Biogen Idec.

Dr. Mease has disclosed that he has received grant/research support and is a consultant from/for Amgen, Abbott, BiogenIDEC, Centocor, Genentech, Roche, Wyeth and Bristol Myers Squibb. He is also a consultant for UCB. He is a member of the speakers’ bureau for Amgen, Abbott, BiogenIDEC, Centocor, Genentech, Wyeth and Bristol Myers Squibb.

Dr. Wei has disclosed that he has received grant/research support from Genentech, Hoffman La-Roche, Serono, Wyeth Research Amgen, Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer, United Biosource, Forest Research Institute, Endo, Schwarz biosciences, and Targeted Genetics.