hi elizabeth,

since no one's responded to your email, i just want you to know it's
been received. our own Krissy Jo is getting abatacept, and she should
be checking in sometime soon.

good luck,

diane

I don't know if this will help you at all, but this is a blurb I got from the
Michigan Arthritis Foundation about it a couple of days ago.  

"On Tuesday, September 6, 2005, the Arthritis Advisory Committee of the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will discuss the biologics license
application for abatacept (proposed trade name Orencia) for the treatment of
moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Abatacept falls into
a new class of biologic agents in development called
co-stimulation modulators, which block the activation of T-cells.

The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of its advisory
committees, but it does in many cases. If approved by the FDA, abatacept may
be a useful alternative for those with RA who have failed methotrexate and/or
the anti-TNF biologic agents."

you could also try emailing KJ, aka Tina, directly or post something on the
rheumoweb site and she or Kimmy should see it.  You might also call the Mass.
Chapter of the AF - they have folks there who know about the up and coming
drugs and may be able to give you answers.  (I volunteered with them when we
were in Boston and they have loads of nice folks at that Chapter office.)