Roche strengthens autoimmune franchise with arthritis drug deal
pharmafile | June 28, 2007 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing |Â Â Â
Roche has added a novel treatment for rheumatoid arthritis to its early stage pipeline, one it says has the potential to be a breakthrough for the painful autoimmune disease.
The pharma company expects autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis to be an important area of its growth over the next few years and wants to build on the success of MabThera in the area.
The licensing deal with Tokyo-based Toyama Chemical gives Roche exclusive rights to T-5225, which is currently in phase I, outside Japan in return for up to $370 million and future royalties.
Head of Roche Pharma Development Jean-Jacques Garaud said: "This novel oral compound complements Roche's developing portfolio of drug candidates in inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis."
T-5224 has the potential to inhibit a key trigger of rheumatoid arthritis and has already shown promising pharmacological efficacy and safety in early clinical studies.
The drug works by inhibiting the transcription factor AP-1 (Activator Protein-1), which plays an important role in the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). AP-1 turns on a variety of genes in response to inflammation triggers, including many that are responsible for the proteins that are the targets of current RA products. It also stimulates the production of enzymes that are thought to cause the destruction of bones and joint tissue.
Roche hopes that inhibiting the AP-1 process, T-5224 will block the signs and symptoms of RA, as well as its progressive destruction of joint and bone.
Last year, the company's blockbuster cancer drug MabTherea won a licence for RA in Europe, becoming its first treatment for the condition.
Its pipeline also includes two late-stage monoclonal antibody treatments for RA. Actemra (tocilizumab), in phase III trials and the result of research collaboration between Roche and Chugai, a Japanese pharma company it owns, and ocrelizumab, which is just entering phase III.
