Rheumatism New drug for painful joints

Research: New drug against rheumatoid arthritis successfully tested

According to health experts, around 800,000 people, predominantly women, suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in Germany. Persistent inflammation damages the joints and bones. It comes to movement restrictions and pain. Researchers have now successfully tested a new drug against the disease.

Permanently inflamed joints

According to the German Society of Rheumatology (DGRh), rheumatoid arthritis is the most common inflammatory joint disease. In the vernacular in this context is often spoken of "rheumatism". "In this disease, several joints are usually permanently inflamed. As a result, they can gradually deform and stiffen, "explains the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) on its patient information portal" gesundheitsinformation.de ". Researchers have now successfully tested a new compound for the inflammatory, often painful and relapsing disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory, often painful and relapsing disease. Researchers have now successfully tested a new drug for joint disease. (Image: From Schonertagen / fotolia.com)

What can help those affected

In the case of rheumatism, medicines are usually used which, in addition to pain relief, have the important function of preventing or at least slowing down permanent damage to the joints.

Sometimes natural remedies such as radon heat therapy in warm healing tunnels help against the pain of rheumatism.

In addition, it has been shown in scientific studies that training on the game console and muesli can relieve arthritis symptoms.

However, rheumatism can not heal so far.

Effective in patients with moderate to severe disease severity

An international research group headed by the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin has now investigated in a study the efficacy of the drug upadacitinib in patients in which so-called conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-inflammatory drugs do not show the desired effect.

As explained in a communication, upadacitinib is a selective inhibitor of Janus kinase-1 (JAK-1).

This substance has been shown to be effective in earlier Phase II studies in this patient population. The inhibition of the enzyme JAK-1 causes an important signaling pathway to trigger an inflammatory reaction is interrupted.

Less pain and improved joint function

According to the data, in the current phase III study with upadacitinib, significantly more joint swelling developed compared to a sham preparation.

In addition, the patients had less pain and also their joint function was improved.

Study leader Prof. Dr. med. Gerd-Rüdiger Burmester, Director of the Charité Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, is highly satisfied with the significant improvements in clinical symptoms with the new tablet-based drug.

"Our findings demonstrate that JAK inhibitors are an effective alternative treatment option for patients with long-term illnesses who are not adequately responsive to conventional drugs or for whom a biopharmaceutical is not a good option," said the expert.

"Treatment with JAK inhibitors could help these patients achieve a rapid response to therapy and thus control their disease. All study results are currently being collated and submitted to regulatory authorities in Europe and the US for review. "

The results of the study were recently published in the journal The Lancet. (Ad)