EULAR: Positive results for UCB's Cimzia from C-EARLY study

Belgian drugmaker UCB (Euronext Brussels: UCB) has announced data that may in the future offer alternative care options for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who have not been treated with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD-naïve) and who are at risk for highly progressive disease.

The Phase III C-EARLY study showed the benefits, at 52 weeks, of adding Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) to optimized methotrexate treatment. UCB presented results of the C-EARLY study for the first time at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) in Rome, Italy. Cimzia is one of UCB’s best selling drugs, generated sales of 797 million euros ($897 million) in 2014.

“The C-EARLY study found that adding Cimzia to optimized methotrexate achieved sustained remission and low disease activity in this at risk patient population. These findings demonstrate the importance of quickly identifying RA patients who will benefit from combination therapy following RA diagnosis. The study raises the bar for long-term treatment strategies for people living with RA,” said lead study author Paul Emery, Professor of Rheumatology, University of Leeds, UK.