Positive results in Sanofi RA trial

Sarilumab, developed by Sanofi and Regeneron, has shown positive results in a phase IIb trial concerning the drug's safety and efficacy in treating rheumatoid arthritis, although the drug failed to show great benefit in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.

According to Sanofi, the MOBILITY study, involving 306 participants, demonstrated that patients treated with sarilumab in combination with a standard RA treatment, methotrexate (MTX), achieved a significant improvement in signs and symptoms of moderate-to-severe RA compared to patients treated with MTX alone.

However, when used as a treatment for AS, significant improvement was not demonstrated when compared to placebo, although the drug was well-tolerated.

"Following these encouraging phase IIb results in rheumatoid arthritis, the companies are currently discussing the dose(s) of sarilumab to advance into the phase III portion of the MOBILITY trial," said Elias Zerhouni, president, global research & development, Sanofi.