Study: Testing of Raptiva™ for Rheumatoid Arthritis Ended

Genentech, Inc. and XOMA Ltd. have stopped a clinical trial of Raptiva™ (efalizumab) in patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis saying the drug appears to offer no overall benefits.

The companies stopped phase II testing in response to a negative evaluation by the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board, which is charged with evaluating the drug's safety and effectiveness in the trial involving 240 patients.

Genentech and XOMA have instructed all sites to stop enrollment and treatment of patients in both this study and another extended treatment study.

Raptiva earlier proved useful in separate clinical trials for the treatment of psoriasis, a disease that is believed related to rheumatoid arthritis because they are both associated with proteins that cause inflammation.

Last December, the two companies asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve Raptiva for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in patients 18 years or older.

Other sources: Genentech, XOMA