New treatment shows promise for rheumatoid arthritis treatment
Research has suggested that a new drug called atacicept is well tolerated and effective at treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Dutch researchers published their findings about the drug in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.
The randomised placebo-controlled, dose-escalating trial featured 73 patients with some given increasing doses of the drug over a six week period. Others were given a single larger dose and the rest were prescribed a placebo.
After a ten-week period of assessments and a three month follow up, the researchers found that atacicept was well tolerated, with few differences between treatment groups and no obvious safety concerns.
Treatment with the drug was linked to improvements in immunoglobulin and rheumatoid factor levels, though the team added that these took some time to emerge.
As a result, Dr P P Tak and the rest of the team concluded: "Atacicept was well tolerated both systemically and locally. The results demonstrated that the biologic activity of atacicept was consistent with its mechanism of action."
In a separate interview with Reuters Health, Dr Tak added: "Atacicept may provide an entirely new approach to improve RA.
"Whether the biological proof of principle that has been shown in this study translates into clinical benefit remains to be shown in phase II and III clinical trials."
A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign, which developed and pioneered anti-TNF therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, said that since anti-TNF drugs came on the market, more and more similar medications were now being trialled. "Which is really good news for patients," she added.
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