Lilly and Incyte's baricitinib better than methotrexate at Phase III

An arthritis treatment from US drugmakers Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and Incyte (Nasdaq: INCY) has been found superior to the current standard treatment.

The experimental drug baricitinib met the primary endpoint of a Phase III study in moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis, and demonstrated non-inferiority versus methotrexate based on ACR20 response rate after 24 weeks of treatment.

Nearly 600 patients were randomized to treatment with baricitinib or methotrexate, both once daily, or a combination of the drugs. Patients had no or limited prior exposure to methotrexate and were treatment-naive with other conventional or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatics.