Pfizer Brings Hope to Rheumatoid Arthritis Victims
The largest drug maker in the world, Pfizer, is working to distribute a drug to compete with arthritis medications which may prove to be both valuable and risky.
Catherine Arnold, an analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG in New York seemed excited about the drug that she said had the potential to bring in $2.6 billion yearly.
“This is a game-changing drug,” Arnold said, according to Bloomberg news. “Our peak sales of $2.6 billion are likely conservative.”
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The drug, called tofacitinib, will come into a market led by Abbott Park’s Humira, Jonson&Johnson’s Remicade and Amgen Inc’s Enbrel.
Although other companies have tried, Pfizer is the only one to complete a third stage of testing required for U.S. approval in the pharmaceutical market, Bloomberg news reports. Victoria Davis, spokeswoman for Pfizer, told the publication that the company is aiming to expand globally.
“Pfizer believes the risk-benefit profile supports regulatory submission for both the 5- and 10-milligram dose,” Davis said. “We are looking forward to filing in the U.S., EU and Japan by the end of the year.”
Although tofacitnib seems to stand out from its competition, it is not without risk. Twelve deaths have been recorded out of 3,030 people who took the drug.
However, testing revealed that the drug could be taken in higher doses with less risk than its competition. Jeffrey Holford, an analyst at Jefferies & Co, spoke about the Pfizer drug in his research note
"Impressive efficacy was demonstrated, with focus now expected to be on safety leading into its regulatory review," Holford said, according to Reuters reports. "While the market was expecting a similar efficacy between the higher dose of tofacitinib and Humira, the strong performance of the lower dose is impressive."
Further findings on the drug are expected to be presented in a rheumatology meeting in November.
