Baricitinib shows significant improvement vs adalimumab

In two Phase III trials, RA-BEAM and RA-BUILD, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with baricitinib experienced significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes, including joint pain, severity of morning joint stiffness and tiredness, compared to placebo and adalimumab (AbbVie’s Humira).

These findings were presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) Annual Meeting in Washington DC, by US pharma major Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and partner Incyte (Nasdaq: INCY).

"This analysis looked at important aspects of rheumatoid arthritis such as the pain, morning joint stiffness and tiredness that are common and debilitating symptoms for patients," said Terence Rooney, Lilly's senior medical director for baricitinib, adding: "Our study results show that treatment with baricitinib rapidly led to significantly greater symptom improvement compared to adalimumab and placebo. The results are very encouraging, and further support baricitinib as a potential oral treatment for those living with RA."