A new biotech arthritis drug being developed by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) was found to be significantly better at reducing knee pain than a placebo in a late-stage trial, according to data shown on Friday.
The drug, known as tanezumab, is administered by infusion every eight weeks and works by blocking a protein called “nerve growth factor” which is associated with pain. The new drug could be the first biotechnology drug for reducing arthritic joint pain.
Mark Brown, Pfizer’s head of arthritis clinical development, said that “What we’ve seen so far in terms of Phase II trials and this first Phase III trial has impressed upon us that this drug has some extraordinary efficacy benefits…We believe this drug will ultimately prove itself to be superior to existing therapies for osteoarthritis,” Brown said.
The 690 patients in Pfizer’s Phase 3 study were either unable or unwilling to take standard pain killers such as NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen, and Pfizer’s own Celebrex. The trial also included patients that did not get sufficient relief from standard drugs as well as those who were candidates for knee surgery. Patients in the study received tanezumab at doses of 2.5 milligrams, 5 mg, 10 mg or a placebo.
After the 16 week study, patients in all three tanezumab groups had demonstrated statistically significant improvement compared to the placebo.
