AbbVie reports positive data from rheumatoid arthritis drug trial

AbbVie has announced the findings of a phase III clinical trial that demonstrates the safety and efficacy of its new rheumatoid arthritis therapy upadacitinib.

Data from the SELECT-BEYOND clinical trial have shown that the investigational oral JAK1-selective inhibitor can offer benefits for patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who did not adequately respond to treatment with biologic DMARDs.

After 12 weeks of treatment, both once-daily doses of upadacitinib met the study's primary endpoints of strong response rates and low disease activity, while all ranked secondary endpoints were also achieved.

Upadacitinib is not approved by regulatory authorities in this indication, but data from the broader SELECT RA clinical trial programme may help to support future efforts to secure approval of the therapy.

Dr Michael Severino, executive vice-president for research and development and chief scientific officer at AbbVie, said: "More than half of upadacitinib patients achieved low disease activity by week 24. These results in difficult-to-treat patients further demonstrate the potential of upadacitinib to be an important new treatment option in rheumatoid arthritis."

With over 20 years of experience within the pharmaceutical market, we at Zenopa have the knowledge, skills and expertise to help find the right job for you. To find out more about the current pharmaceutical roles we have available, you can search for the latest job roles, register your details, or contact the team today.