AbbVie to start late stage trials for drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis; to give back rights for Galapagos' filgotinib

28 September 2015

US drug maker AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) said it will start Phase III trials for its drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis by the end of the year following positive data from recent study.

The company said following the study, it has decided against exercising its right to in-license Belgian clinical-stage biotech company Galapagos' (AMS: GLPG) JAK1 inhibitor filgotinib.

Michael Severino, chief scientific officer at AbbVie, said, "We believe ABT-494 has the potential to become a best-in-class therapy for patients. In our view, ABT-494 also offers a faster path to Phase III development with less uncertainty."

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