LONDON (Alliance News) - GlaxoSmithKline PLC on Sunday said a phase two study of its rheumatoid arthritis drug showed promising results.
The drug, GSK3196165, is also known as GSK165 and was studied in a randomised controlled trial of 222 patients with moderate to severe forms of arthritis.
Results showed that the drug was effective as early as week 1 for all doses above 22.5 milligrams, continuing throughout the weekly dosing and statistically significant at week 12.
Patients were given five weekly injections with the drug, followed injections every other week until week 50, with GSK165 proving effective throughout the every other week phase, proving statistically significant at week 24.
GSK said that the improvement in patient-based measures such as joint pain and swelling were "particularly marked".
GSK Chief Scientific Officer Hal Barron said: "We are encouraged by these results. The rapid onset and marked benefit on clinically meaningful endpoints such as pain and swollen tender joint counts, represents a potentially important advance for patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are in need of new treatment options."
All doses were well tolerated with no limiting safety findings such as infection or toxicity.