Pfizer (NYSE: [[ticker:PFE]]) announced in a press release that tofacitinib, its experimental JAK inhibitor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), performed well in the final two pivotal phase 3 trials. Patients taking both the 5 and 10 milligram doses showed statistically significant changes versus placebo in reducing the symptoms of RA. The announcement comes two weeks after the New York-based pharmaceutical giant said that in a separate trial, the 10 milligram dose of tofacitinib performed better than the smaller dose. The company plans to release a more detailed analysis 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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