Transdiscal administration of specific inhibitors of pro-inflammatory cytokines
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to injecting a high specificity cytokine antagonist into a diseased intervertebral disc.
1. A method of treating degenerative disc disease in an intervertebral disc having a nucleus pulposus and an annulus fibrosus, comprising the steps of:
a) transdiscally administering an effective amount of a formulation comprising a high specificity cytokine antagonist into an intervertebral disc, wherein the antagonist is a monoclonal antibody that inhibits TNF-α.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the monoclonal antibody is infliximab.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the monoclonal antibody is etanercept.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the high specificity cytokine antagonist is present in the formulation in a concentration of at least 100 mg/ml.