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Posted on Jun 15, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
Victims of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) could be spared years of suffering following the discovery of a new drug, it has been reported.
Victims of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) could be spared years of suffering following the discovery of a new drug, it has been reported.
In trial results, Tocilizumab has been found to fight the symptoms of RA, a disease which affects affecting 420,000 people in England and Wales.
A study of 623 patients revealed that after six months, 58.5 per cent people taking Tocilizumab had 20 per cent fewer RA symptoms compared to 26.5 per cent of those who were taking a placebo drug.
"These trial findings are significant because we know that many rheumatoid arthritis patients continue to experience symptoms of joint pain and stiffness, physical disability and fatigue despite treatment with existing therapies," said Dr Josef Smolen from the Medical University of Vienna.
Tocilizumab is currently under regulatory review by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) but could be launched in Britain within six months.
