LONDON (Reuters) - Cimzia stops structural damage to joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis as soon as 16 weeks after the start of treatment, according to new data presented on Thursday.
The finding, released at the annual European League Against Rheumatism meeting in Paris, means the biotech medicine is the first in the anti-TNF class to show such rapid action, the Belgian drugmaker UCB said in a statement.
Previous clinical trial results from two trials known as RAPID 1 and 2 had shown that Cimzia, in combination with the older drug methotrexate, inhibited joint damage at week 24 and 52. The latest data comes from further analysis of these two studies.
"Prevention of long-term structural damage is a key concern for rheumatologists when treating patients with active rheumatoid arthritis," said Dr. Desiree van der Heijde, professor of rheumatology at Leiden University Medical Centre.
"These data from the RAPID trials confirm that certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) is both fast and effective at preventing this structural damage."
UCB is looking to Cimzia to replace sales of older products lost to generics.
It was approved as a treatment for Crohn's disease, a bowel disorder, in the United States in April but the arthritis market -- where approval has yet to be granted -- represents a bigger commercial opportunity.
Cimzia belongs to a class of drugs that block an inflammatory protein called tumour necrosis factor, or TNF.
The first of the TNF blockers were launched nearly 10 years ago and Cimzia will be fourth to market as an arthritis treatment, behind Amgen's Enbrel, Johnson & Johnson's Remicade and Abbott Laboratories' Humira.
