
Asian Scientist (Aug. 6, 2013) – Pfizer Japan Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited have launched their rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drug XELJANZ® (tofacitinib citrate) in Japan.
The drug was approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) on March 25, 2013 for the treatment of adult RA patients who do not respond adequately to existing therapies.
XELJANZ is the first approved oral RA treatment in a new class of drugs known as JAK inhibitors in Japan. JAK signalling pathways play a role in the inflammation involved in RA.
XELJANZ may be used in patients in whom clinical symptoms due to the disease remain even after appropriate treatment with at least one other disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD), such as methotrexate.
“Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious disease causing physical impediments. Some patients cannot achieve adequate results with existing treatments and I have high hopes that the emergence of this new, highly convenient product will lead to better patient quality-of-life,” said Professor Yoshiya Tanaka from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Japan.
“XELJANZ, which has a new mechanism of action, has been recognized for its safety and efficacy through domestic clinical trials, but it is important to promote the proper use of the medicine and to continue accumulating clinical evidence from the field.”
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Source: Takeda.
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