A new arthritis drug by Pfizer Inc. has achieved desired success during late stages of its clinical trial. The experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug, if approved, is likely to boost Pfizers financials after the company suffered a huge sales decrease from a loss of patent protection.
The drug, tofacitinib, showed reduced signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis by a statistically significant amount compared with a placebo at six months in the trial. The drug improved physical function at three months and showed a greater disease remission at six months.
The recent testing completed the second of six late-stage trials. The drug was tested in patients with moderate to severe arthritis who previously had not responded to traditional therapies.
The medicine, previously known as tasocitinib, is classed as a JAK inhibitor, which affects the signaling of proteins involved in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Taken orally, tofacitinib, differs from the typical injectable treatments, such as Humira, made by Abbott Laboratories, Amgen Inc's Enbrel, and Remicade, made by Johnson & Johnson.
Tim Anderson, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein, said the fact that Pfizer's drug is given by mouth gives it a strong competitive advantage.
"It is an oral therapy that will be competing in a category dominated by injectable products that currently sell about $12 billion a year in rheumatoid arthritis, or about $20 billion when considering other indications," he said in a recent research report.
