Immunex Corp's tumor necrosis factor receptor Enbrel has provedeffective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, according to Phase III data. Shares in the company soared on the day of the announcement (September 11), up $12.63 to $56.13, and even increased the following day by another $4.50 to close at $60.38.
234 patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis who had failed all other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs were enrolled in the trial and were randomized to receive either 10mg or 25mg of Enbrel or placebo via injection twice weekly for a period of six months. Patients receiving Enbrel experienced significantly better symptom improvements (measured by composite scales called American College of Rheumatology 20 and ACR 50) than placebo at both three- and six-month endpoints.
Analysis of the data is ongoing, according to a company spokesman. However, the percentage change in symptom improvement is similar to that found in an earlier Phase II study, he said, which showed that at three months, 75% of the patients in the group assigned to the most effective dose (16mg/m2) had improvement of 20% or more in symptoms, versus 14% in the placebo group (Marketletter July 28). Complete data from the Phase III study will be presented at the ACR meeting in November, says the company.
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