Pfizer reports positive data from Xeljanz ulcerative colitis study

Pfizer has announced clinical trial data demonstrating the benefits its drug Xeljanz can provide in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

Top-line results from the phase III OCTAVE Sustain trial have highlighted the number of patients with moderate to severely active ulcerative colitis achieving long-term remission when treated with Xeljanz.

OCTAVE Sustain was a 52-week study evaluating twice-daily Xeljanz as a maintenance treatment in adult patients who previously completed and achieved clinical response in either the OCTAVE Induction 1 or OCTAVE Induction 2 studies.

When allied with the results of prior studies, these latest findings offer evidence that Xeljanz has the potential to be an effective new oral treatment option for ulcerative colitis that both induces and maintains remission.

Dr Michael Corbo, chief development officer for inflammation and immunology at Pfizer, said: "We are proud to advance our clinical development programme for tofacitinib as we work to bring a potential new treatment option to patients living with ulcerative colitis."

The drug is approved in more than 45 countries around the world for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis as a second-line therapy after failure of one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.