New Arthritis Therapies Reported At ACR

Idec Pharmaceuticals and SmithKline Beecham have released promising results of a Phase II trial with their primatized, non-depleting, anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody, code-named IDEC-CE9.1/SB 210396, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The data were presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Florida, USA, on October 19.

Primatized antibodies are genetically-engineered from macaque monkey and human components and form a new class of monoclonal antibodies, say the companies. Thus, their similarity to human antibodies means that minimal adverse reactions are seen when treating chronic diseases such as RA, compared to monoclonal antibodies derived from mice.

The antibodies work by binding to the CD4 protein on helper T cells and arresting the autoimmune effects of T cell activity, slowing disease progression.