Pfizer to present new tofacitinib data at ACR meeting

Pfizer has announced plans to present pivotal trial data for its new rheumatoid arthritis therapy tofacitinib at the upcoming American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2011 annual scientific meeting.

The company will attend the November conference in Chicago in order to showcase detailed results from three phase III studies, as well as pooled safety data, which will reinforce the drug's efficacy profile.

To date, 3,030 patients have been involved in phase III clinical trials and 3,227 in long-term extension studies for the drug, which is being compared to placebo as a means of treating moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis.

Data will be presented from the Oral Standard, Oral Scan and Oral Step trials, which between them have generated between 2,000 and 3,000 patient years of information.

Pfizer expects to submit a marketing authorisation for tofacitinib in this specification by the end of 2011.

Last week, the company published new data from a study of its drug Inspra, its new heart disease therapy.