Are biologic drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis harmful in pregnancy?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects around 1% of people worldwide, is more common in women and often requires treatment with biologic drugs to control symptoms and prevent joint damage. Many women of child-bearing age with RA treated with biologic drugs plan or become pregnant and it is uncertain, if biologic drugs should be continued throughout pregnancy.
Treatment of RA in pregnancy is important because active arthritis is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes and is more likely if biologic drugs are stopped. This talk will discuss whether stopping biologic drugs in pregnancy has harmful effects on disease activity, pregnancy outcomes and/or health of the mother and their children.

This lecture will be followed by a Q&A with our speaker, Prof Ian Giles.