Another anti-TNF tested for ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis
patients
Tumour necrosis factor inhibitor golimumab — being developed by Centocor and Schering-Plough — has shown promise in phase III studies of psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
The top-line data were presented at a joint American College of Rheumatology
and Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals annual scientific
meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, earlier this month.
In one of the studies, 405 patients with active psoriatic arthritis were
randomised to receive subcutaneous injections of golimumab (50mg or 100mg)
or placebo every four weeks. The primary endpoint — a 20 per cent
improvement according to ACR criteria at week 14 — was reached
by 50.7 per cent of patients in the 50mg-dose group and by 45.2 per cent
of patients in the 100mg-dose group compared with 8.8 per cent of patients
on placebo (P<0.001 for both comparisons).
In a second study, 356 ankylosing spondylitis patients were randomised
to a similar four-weekly dosing protocol. The researchers found that
59.4 per cent of patients taking 50mg golimumab and 60.0 per cent in
the 100mg group saw a 20 per cent improvement in assessment criteria
for ankylosing spondylitis at week 14 — the primary endpoint — compared
with 21.8 per cent of patients on placebo (P<0.001 for both comparisons).
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