Which drug is listed as a DMARD I?

Which drug is listed as a DMARD I?

• A. Etanercept
• B. Methotrexate (Rheumatrex)
• C. Infliximab
• D. Leflunomide

Answer: (B)

DMARDs slow the autoimmune process in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, and they’re grouped by how they’re made and how they work: conventional synthetic DMARDs (DMARD I) and biologic DMARDs (DMARD II). Methotrexate is the quintessential DMARD I, widely used as first-line disease-modifying therapy. It works by interfering with folate metabolism, which reduces the proliferation of immune cells, and it also has anti-inflammatory effects that help slow joint damage. This makes it the classic example of a DMARD I. The other drugs here fit the DMARD II category or, in the case of another conventional DMARD, are less central to this particular classification. Etanercept and infliximab are biologic agents that neutralize TNF, a specific inflammatory mediator, so they’re considered DMARD II. Leflunomide is another conventional DMARD, but the question’s framing targets methotrexate as the representative DMARD I, hence methotrexate is the best answer.

DMARDs slow the autoimmune process in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, and they’re grouped by how they’re made and how they work: conventional synthetic DMARDs (DMARD I) and biologic DMARDs (DMARD II). Methotrexate is the quintessential DMARD I, widely used as first-line disease-modifying therapy. It works by interfering with folate metabolism, which reduces the proliferation of immune cells, and it also has anti-inflammatory effects that help slow joint damage. This makes it the classic example of a DMARD I.

The other drugs here fit the DMARD II category or, in the case of another conventional DMARD, are less central to this particular classification. Etanercept and infliximab are biologic agents that neutralize TNF, a specific inflammatory mediator, so they’re considered DMARD II. Leflunomide is another conventional DMARD, but the question’s framing targets methotrexate as the representative DMARD I, hence methotrexate is the best answer.