Schering Plough sees Respimat success

Schering-Plough revealed at the European League Against Rheumatism (Eular) congress that improvements in spinal mobility was noticed by patients who were treated with Respimat for a two-year period.

Announcing the information in the Spanish city of Barcelona, Schering-Plough said that the Ankylosing Spondylitis Study for the Evaluation of Recombinant Infliximab Therapy (Assert) trial, which used data from 279 patients, Remicade had a “positive effect”.

“Ankylosing spondylitis can limit spinal mobility and significantly impair a patient’s quality of life. These data demonstrate that treatment with Remicade improved spinal mobility,” said Professor Jurgen Braun, lead physician at the Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet and professor of rheumatology at the Free University of Berlin.

The professor added that such improvements can be maintained by continuing the treatment along with physiotherapy.

Also noted was the effect the treatment had on spinal inflammation, with MRI activity scores showing improvements after 24 weeks, extended through to week 102 in some patients.

Last week, Schering-Plough announced a new agreement between the company and Kurve Technology, a developer of nasal drug delivery devices.