UCB's head-to-head trial of treatments for bio-naïve rheumatoid arthritis disappoints

UCB (Euronext Brussels: UCB) has announced that its head-to-head study of Cimzia and Humira as treatments for bio-naïve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) found that the primary endpoints for superiority were not met.

The Belgian biopharmaceutical company’s study of the two treatments in the anti-TNF class compared Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) plus methotrexate (MTX) to Humira (adalimumab) plus MTX in adult patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are inadequate responders to MTX.

The primary endpoints for superiority in the 24-month study were based around the percentage of patients with an ACR20 response at Week 12 – a 20% improvement in tender or swollen joint counts and a 20% improvement in at least three of five other criteria including physician assessment and pain scale, along with the percentage of patients who achieved low disease activity at week 104.