SIMPONI treatment results in greater inhibition of structural damage in arthritis patients

Phase 3 data reported for the first time show that once every four week subcutaneous injections of SIMPONI(TM) (golimumab) resulted in significantly greater inhibition of structural damage compared with placebo plus methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Radiographic analyses showed that treatment with SIMPONI resulted in a statistically significant reduction in change from baseline in structural damage as measured using the van der Heijde-Sharp (vdH-S) scoring method, an X-ray measure of changes in joint destruction, including joint erosion and joint space narrowing. These one-year data were presented at the 2009 American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting.

"These findings show that treatment with golimumab and methotrexate inhibited the progression of joint damage in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis," said Dr. Paul Emery, head of the Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Medicine at the University of Leeds and lead study investigator. "These data reveal important new insights into the efficacy of golimumab and its effect in altering the potential destructive nature of RA and PsA."

SOURCE Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc.