By Chelsey Dulaney
Eli Lilly (LLY) and Co. and Incyte Corp. (INCY) said Monday that
a late-stage study of an experimental rheumatoid arthritis
treatment showed improvement over a placebo and met its primary
endpoint.
The companies said patients taking the drug, baricitinib, showed
a statistically signficant improvement compared to those taking a
placebo in the second-consecutive Phase 3 trial. The trial, part of
an extensive Phase 3 program to test the drug in more than 3,000
patients, included 684 patients who had showed inadequate responses
to conventional drugs.
The companies announced similar results in December from the
first Phase 3 trial.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by
inflammation and progressive destruction of joints.
Lilly and Incyte struck a world-wide license and collaboration
agreement for baricitinib in 2009. In addition to arthritis
studies, the drug is also being tested for the treatment of
psoriasis and diabetic nephropathy.
Write to Chelsey Dulaney at chelsey.dulaney@wsj.com
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