New Arthritis Drug Unveiled

Pfizer Inc. has announced the approval of a new arthritis drug. The new treatment, called Xeljanz, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. The approval came two weeks before Pfizer expected it to.

Xeljanz, also known as tofacitinib, works to slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. It be used as an alternative treatment for patients who don’t respond to methotrexate. Xeljanz is part of a new class of pain medications called JAK inhibitors, which works by saving the body from tissue damage.

This new drug comes from a push in arthritis research. It is estimated that by 2050, 1/3 of the population of the United States will be Hispanic. Currently there are 3 million Hispanic people in the United States that are affected by arthritis. The demand for treatment will continue to rise.

Dr. Wayne H. Giles, the Director of the Division of Adult and Community Health at the Center for Disease Control says that, “This study… will help us target our limited resources in ways that maximize the impact public health measures have on improving the lives of Hispanics with arthritis.”

Source: Fox News