Sanofi begins phase III trials of rheumatoid arthritis drug

Sanofi has announced the commencement of a pair of phase III trials for sarilumab, a rheumatoid arthritis therapy that represents the first fully human monoclonal antibody directed against the IL-6 receptor.

Patient enrolment has begun for Saril-Ra Compare and Ascertain, the first two trials in the broad SARIL-RA clinical development programme, which is focused on adult populations with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis who have responded poorly to previous treatment.

The former study will compare the performance of the new drug to etanercept, while the latter assesses the safety and tolerability of sarilumab and tocilizumab, both in combination with methotrexate.

Sanofi will be launching the Saril-Ra Mobility and Target studies at a later date, with an open-label extension trial called Saril-Ra Extend to follow afterwards.

Dr Jorge Insuasty, vice-president for global research and development and deputy to the president for development at Sanofi, said: "The initiation of the Saril-Ra Compare and Ascertain studies represents a significant step in the phase III Saril-Ra clinical development programme."

This week, the company also announced that it will be restructuring its research operations in France in order to eliminate efficiencies and improve productivity.