Clinical trial results described as “striking and exciting” could lead to new treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
The antibody drug tocilizumab was almost four times more likely to halt progression of the condition than the most widely prescribed alternative.
It also achieved significantly greater reduction in disease signs and symptoms after six months.
Scientists compared tocilizumab, marketed as RoActemra, with the “anti-TNF” drug adalimumab (Humira).
The drugs were tested in a group of 326 patients unable to take the mainstay treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), methotrexate (MTX)
MTX is ruled out for roughly a third of patients, many of whom suffer unbearable side effects.
An estimated 646,000 people in the UK suffer from RA
