Cimzia (UCB) Phase III success in Psoriatic Arthritis

Top-line results were reported from the RAPID-PsA phase III study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) from UCB, in patients with adult onset active Psoriatic Arthritis and demonstrated a clinically relevant and statistically significant improvement at week 12 in the signs and symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis. Initial analyses suggest that no new safety signals were observed in this study and adverse events were consistent with those seen in other trials of certolizumab pegol. In this 48 week, multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group, phase III study, 409 patients were randomized to receive certolizumab pegol (200 mg every two weeks or 400 mg every four weeks) or placebo. UCB plan to file Cimzia for treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis by the end of 2012