There are no current recommendations/guidelines on the use of biological agents in systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD). Due to the off-label use of biological agents in SAD and their potential risks, the creation of a multicenter group to propose general recommendations on the rational use of these new therapeutic agents in patients with SAD may be of interest.
In 2006, the Department of Autoimmune Diseases of Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (Drs. Josep Font and Manuel Ramos-Casals) proposed clinical guidelines on the use of these drugs in SAD and established a registry of patients with SAD treated with biological agents. Soon after, the project BIOGEAS was created based on the multicenter extension of the registry to the Study Group of Autoimmune Diseases (GEAS) of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI). Through the electronic distribution list of the SEMI’s GEAS, all members with clinical experience on the use of biological agents in patients with SAD were invited to participate.