Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: an update on current pharmacotherapy and future perspectives

Abstract

Introduction: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic rheumatic disease in childhood. Therapeutic advances in the treatment of JIA are occurring at a rapid rate, resulting in more ambitious therapeutic goals and increasing numbers of children experiencing complete clinical remission.

Areas covered: The purpose of this review is to summarize the available treatments for the management of arthritis and systemic features in children with JIA, including current evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of biologic agents and future therapeutic approaches.

Expert opinion: With advances in pharmacotherapy, physical and functional outcomes in children with JIA have improved immensely. The establishment of research consortia among the pediatric rheumatology community has allowed for large controlled studies and enabled a better understanding of the safety and efficacy of these therapeutic agents in children. Long-term safety data remain limited and thus longer, larger safety studies are warranted.