UCB reveals Crohn’s disease drug “success”

Belgian pharmaceuticals manufacturer UCB has announced new trial data for Cimzia, an anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drug, which demonstrates its effectiveness in treating Crohn’s disease, according to the company.

UCB says that the PRECiSE 1 trial is the first phase III trial to test an anti-TNF therapy for use on patients with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory disease that most commonly affects the small intestine and colon. It can cause deep ulcers in the gut as well as scarring of the intestinal wall and abdominal pain.

The results demonstrated results of “statistical significance” and it showed that a larger number of patients using Cimzia achieved their clinical goals than those using the placebo. It also showed that fewer patients showed signs of remission when using Cimzia in comparison to the placebo.

The project’s lead author, Professor Stefan Schreiber, professor of medicine and gastroenterology at the Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, said: “The combined analysis suggests that Cimzia is well-tolerated with consistent results in more than 1,300 patients. The observed low incidence of autoimmune-antibody formation may also be of interest to the clinician.”

“The low rate of injection site reactions also underscores its potential value for the patients,” he added.

Crohn’s disease is treated with a number of types of drugs, although there is no known cure. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used, as are corticosteroids in more severe cases. Anti-immune drugs are also used, of which anti-TNF drugs are a class. Thalidomide is also being investigated for use with Crohn’s disease because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

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