Abatacept: New Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Shows Promise - Abatacept beat placebo

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New Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Shows Promise: Abatacept beat placebo

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/HealthScout/060619/6061902U.html

An alternative drug for rheumatoid arthritis may help reduce symptoms in

patients who don't respond to standard treatment, a new study shows.

The 652 patients in the one-year, phase III study took an older medication,

methotrexate, to treat their rheumatoid arthritis, plus either the new drug,

abatacept, or a placebo. All of the patients had been diagnosed with

rheumatoid arthritis for at least nine years and had not responded well to

methotrexate alone prior to the trial.

Although the patients also taking abatacept did experience a higher rate of

infection - 2.5 percent compared to 0.9 percent in those taking methotrexate

alone - the new drug did appear to improve mobility and decrease joint

damage caused by the disease.

An editorial that accompanied the trial results, published in the June 20

ls of Internal Medicine, cautions that these types of trials require

that the new drug being tested be compared only to a placebo, instead of

another drug used to treat the condition. These trials are required by the

FDA before a drug can be considered for approval. The editorial also urges

that use of abatecept be carefully observed until the treatment can be

further evaluated.