Tanezumab has advantages over Celebrex for osteoarthritic pain; report

US rheumatologists and managed care organization (MCO) pharmacy directors survey by advisory firm Decision Resources  agree that reduction in pain intensity is one of the attributes that most influences their decisions regarding prescribing and formulary status determinations, respectively, in osteoarthritic pain.

Clinical data and the opinions of interviewed thought leaders indicate that Pfizer’s investigational compound tanezumab has advantages on this attribute over Pfizer’s Celebrex (celecoxib), the sales-leading agent for osteoarthritic pain.

A couple of years ago Pfizer suspended the osteoarthritis clinical program for the investigational compound tanezumab following a request by the US Food and Drug Administration (The Pharma Letter June 24, 2010). The worldwide suspension followed a small number of reports of tanezumab patients experiencing the worsening of osteoarthritis leading to joint replacement. However, trials of the drug continue in other pain indications.