Bristol-Myers’ arthritis drug inhibits joint damage

Abatacept is an investigational selective co-stimulation modulator, which, according to new findings from a recent phase III clinical trial, is affective against arthritus independent of baseline clinical, biochemical, or radiographic characteristics.

The year long, multi-center trial enrolled a total of 652 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had had an inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX) treatment. The participants were given a minute intravenous infusion of either abatacept or placebo and analysis of joint structure was taken at the beginning and end of the study using radiographs.

Original findings from the trial revealed improvement in the signs and symptoms of arthritis following treatment with abatacept. The new analysis was designed to evaluate the degree the drug inhibited the progression of joint damage. The data indicates that abatacept significantly inhibited the progression of structural damage and prevented joint erosion.

The most common adverse events reported for the abatacept patients were headache nasopharyngitis and nausea. The incidence of total adverse events was 87.3% for abatacept and 84% for placebo.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation in the lining of joints (or synovium), causing joint damage with chronic pain, stiffness, warmth, and swelling. One of the most serious and disabling types of arthritis, RA causes limited range of motion and decreased function as a result of affected joints losing their shape and alignment