'Smart drug' hope for arthritis sufferers

Published on Thursday 20 March 2008 21:15

A NEW "smart drug" for rheumatoid arthritis has proven effective in two separate trials, evidence suggests.

Tocilizumab (actemra) was found to cut symptoms in both adults and children.

Previous studies have shown the drug slows the progression of the disease and works best when used with methotrexate, the standard treatment. Tocilizumab targets the receptors of interleukin-6, a signalling molecule known to stimulate the growth of cells.

In the medical journal Lancet, experts published the results of a clinical trial on 623 patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis.

Professor Josef Smolen, from the rheumatology division at the Medical University of Vienna, carried out the study with colleagues.

Rheumatoid arthritis afflicts around 350,000 people in the UK, with women more likely to be affected than men. It is an auto-immune disease which causes pain, swelling and inflammation in the joints.

The disease also puts sufferers at higher risk from strokes and heart attacks.

A study published earlier this week indicated that a vegan diet could help to cut the risk of stroke and heart attacks for arthritis sufferers.