EU approves Pfizer’s Xeljanz for ulcerative colitis

Pfizer’s tofacitinib citrate has become the first oral medication and Janus kinase inhibitor to be approved in the EU for adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.
Silvio Danese, President of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) Governing Board, said: “Until now, people living with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis have not had an oral treatment available that can both induce and maintain steroid-free remission.”
Michael Osso, President and CEO of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, said: “What works for one ulcerative colitis patient may not work for another and some struggle with ongoing symptoms. That is why it is so critical that our patients have different treatment options available to them. We are thrilled to have this new treatment option available to ulcerative colitis patients. Every new treatment provides new hope to our community.”
Xeljanz 2016 global sales were up 77% on the previous year and the product has been a successful drug for Pfizer in other indications. It is also approved in the EU for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, and has been approved in over 45 countries for use as a second-line therapy for rheumatoid arthritis after failure of one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.