Injectable Drug Earns FDA Approval for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

An injectable drug already approved to treat a gastrointestinal disorder has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as therapy for patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis.

Cimzia, made by the small Belgian drug company UCB, was approved last year to treat gastrointestinal Crohn’s disease. It is part of a class of drugs called tumor necrosis factor blockers, which also includes medications include Humira, Remicade, and Enbrel. The drugs work by neutralizing a protein that can cause inflammation and damage to bones, cartilage and other tissue.

UCB said Cimzia has advantages over other arthritis drugs, in part because it is easier to inject. Cimzia comes in prefilled syringes that have oversized finger grips and a rounded needle cap, which makes it easier for patients to uncap and inject the drug. Cimzia is the result of a partnership between UCB and OXO, an El Paso, Texas company that makes ergonomically designed kitchenware.

Cimzia Drug Combo Reduces Arthritis

Clinical studies have shown that Cimzia, when used along with the immune-system suppressing drug methotrexate, significantly reduces arthritis symptoms after six months. Patients taking both drugs also saw a slower progression of arthritis-related joint damage, the company said.

Cimzia could be useful for patients who develop resistance to older arthritis drugs like Humira. Cimzia is designed to be injected every two or four weeks, a more flexible injection schedule that is required for other arthritis drugs, such as Enbrel and Humira, which generally are injected every one or two weeks.

The FDA recently approved a once-a-month injectable arthritis treatment, called Simponi.

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