Early human tests of new rheumatoid arthritis drug provide encouraging results

A medical research company has revealed that its first 'in-human' tests of a new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have proved very successful.

Velcura Therapeutics said that it had completed its first 'in-man' clinical trial of a drug based on a molecule that promotes bone formation, known as VEL-0230.

Extensive preclinical studies showed that VEL-0230 was a powerful anti-inflammatory agent that also stimulates bone formation and inhibits bone loss.

The newest trials were in healthy human volunteers and indicated that the drug can cause significant reductions in the levels of a known biomarker of bone resorption. The study showed that these positive effects were noted only 15 minutes after the drug was taken.

"The successful completion of the first studies in healthy human volunteers is an important milestone in developing VEL-0230 as a therapy," commented Dr Michael Long.

"While we are still analyzing and tabulating the data, our preliminary conclusions are that the drug is safe and well-tolerated over a range of doses."

According to the company, the results prove that the drug may be an important therapy for RA patients in the future.

An Arthritis Research Campaign spokesman said the new drug would need to undergo several more stages before its efficacy and safety could be established.

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