Study Reports Positive Phase 3 Trial Results for Novel Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug

Aug, 2022 - By SMI

Novel monoclonal antibody treatment that targets rheumatoid arthritis has passed phase 3 trials and is now ready for approval and would be available for patients within a year

A team of researchers at Medical University of Vienna have developed a new drug for rheumatoid arthritis treatment, which according to the study published in the journal The New England Journal of Medicine on August 25, 2022, has successfully passed phase 3 trials. The novel monoclonal antibody treatment will offer a new option for patients who are not responding to current treatments. The new drug is likely to be available for use within a year, as the team looks for approval from regulatory bodies.

The new drug developed by the team is called Olokizumab, which is a novel type of monoclonal antibody, which focuses on inhibiting an immune molecule known as interleukin-6 (IL-6). This immune molecule has an important role in immune signaling as it reduces the inflammation linked to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. This new study reported a Phase 3 trial results of this new monoclonal antibody. The trial involved 1,648 subjects suffering from rheumatoid arthritis who did not response to current immunosuppressive drugs used for treating the disease. The researchers assigned olokizumab to the cohort every two and four weeks, adalimumab every two weeks or a placebo group.

After 6 months or 24 weeks, the team compared effectiveness of both dose levels of olokizumab. The team found that olokizumab was more efficient compared to adalimumab; however, not enough significant statistically to be called superior. However, as the drug showed equal efficiency as that of adalimumab, which could make it a new option of treatments of rheumatoid arthritis. With the use of this data, the company who is manufacturing olokizumab can now apply for approval of this new treatment with regulatory authorities.