Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) announced that the 10 milligram dose of tofacitinib, its experimental JAK inhibitor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), met all primary endpoints in a phase 3 study. Patients taking the drug showed statistically significant changes in the signs and symptoms of the disease, as well as a slowing of structural damage of the joints, when compared to patients on placebo. The smaller dose, 5 milligrams, improved symptoms but did not significantly reduce structural damage. The company plans to release additional data at an upcoming medical meeting.
Author: Arlene Weintraub
Arlene is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences and technology. She was previously a senior health writer based out of the New York City headquarters of BusinessWeek, where she wrote hundreds of articles that explored both the science and business of health. Her freelance pieces have been published in USA Today, US News & World Report, Technology Review, and other media outlets. Arlene has won awards from the New York Press Club, the Association of Health Care Journalists, the Foundation for Biomedical Research, and the American Society of Business Publication Editors. Her book about the anti-aging industry, Selling the Fountain of Youth, was published by Basic Books in September 2010.
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