Shares of Medarex were buoyed this morning on the news that its experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug met its primary endpoint in a mid-stage trial. And the results are paving the way to a new round of studies involving a range of inflammatory diseases.
The goal was to demonstrate that the drug delivered at least a 20 percent improvement in symptoms and signs of RA after 12 weeks of treatment with MDX-1100. Seventy patients taking methotrexate were recruited for the Phase II study. Compared to placebo, three times the number of patients taking the experimental medicine hit that 20 percent bar.
"Based on these positive results with a novel pro-inflammatory target, we are actively preparing for the next stage of clinical development for MDX-1100 in RA, including the potential for subcutaneous dosing," said Geoffrey M. Nichol, senior vice president of product development at Medarex. "We also look forward to exploring the broader potential of MDX-1100 in a range of inflammatory diseases, including ulcerative colitis in an ongoing companion Phase II study."
- check out Medarex's release
- read the Reuters story