Pfizer reports positive psoriasis drug trial data

Pfizer has announced encouraging data from a pair of clinical trials of tofacitinib, a new therapy for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

The OPT Pivotal 1 and OPT Pivotal 2 studies assessed the efficacy and safety of the oral Janus kinase inhibitor therapy among more than 1,800 patients over a period of 52 weeks, coming as part of the wider OPT phase III clinical trial programme.

It was revealed that tofacitinib, when taken as a five mg or ten mg pill twice daily, met the primary efficacy endpoints of statistically significant superiority compared to placebo at week 16.

Data from these studies and previous OPT trials will be used to support Pfizer's efforts to secure regulatory approval for the promising new therapy.

Dr Steven Romano, global medicines development lead for Pfizer's global innovative pharmaceutical business, said: "I am encouraged by our phase III results to date that demonstrate the potential of tofacitinib to be an important new treatment option for adults with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis."

This comes after the company previously announced positive clinical trial data earlier this month from a phase II study of palbociclib, a promising new breast cancer drug.