Pfizer reports positive data for rheumatoid arthritis drug Xeljanz

Pfizer has announced the publication of two-year results from a major new clinical trial of the rheumatoid arthritis drug Xeljanz.

Data from the Oral Start study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine and highlighted the performance of the drug among more than 950 patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who had not previously received methotrexate.

It was revealed that the drug, when taken as a monotherapy, inhibited the progression of structural damage and reduced the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, proving significantly superior to methotrexate on these measures after 24 months.

This is a potentially important discovery as Xeljanz is not indicated in patients who had not previously received methotrexate.

Dr Steven Romano, global medicines development lead for the Pfizer global innovative pharmaceutical business, said: "The publication of all of the completed Xeljanz phase III rheumatoid arthritis clinical studies in such respected publications speaks to the significance and clinical relevance of the data for Xeljanz."

To date, Xeljanz has been approved in more than 20 countries, with regulatory reviews still ongoing in more than 35 additional nations.