certolizumab pegol + disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs

Certolizumab pegol + disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs is a combination therapy used primarily for the treatment of **rheumatoid arthritis** (RA) and other inflammatory arthritides such as **psoriatic arthritis** (PsA). Certolizumab pegol is a PEGylated, Fc-free humanized monoclonal antibody fragment that inhibits **tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)**, a cytokine involved in systemic inflammation. The combination with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which include agents such as methotrexate or leflunomide, aims to optimize therapeutic efficacy by simultaneously targeting key mechanisms in RA pathogenesis. This strategy is particularly useful for patients who have failed prior DMARD therapy, as combination regimens have demonstrated greater efficacy in achieving sustained remission, low disease activity, and inhibition of structural joint damage when compared to individual monotherapy components[3][5][1][2][7].