Many factors can influence the safety and effectiveness of biologic therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and, as outlined in this Review, the unique genetic, environmental and medical backgrounds of Japanese individuals could affect how they respond to biologic agents. This article describes the biologic agents used in Japan and the extensive post-marketing surveillance data for all patients with RA treated with biologic agents in Japan, which include the drug-related adverse events that have been documented.
- Tsutomu Takeuchi
- Hideto Kameda
