Orencia shows efficacy in trial, Bristol-Myers Squibb says

COPENHAGEN, Denmark An investigational drug for treating rheumatoid arthritis showed “significant” safety and effectiveness over seven years of treatment, according to data from a clinical trial presented at the 2009 Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Copenhagen, Demark.

Bristol-Myers Squibb announced Friday that in a phase 2b trial of Orencia (abatacept), more than half of patients who remained on the drug after seven years had experienced remission, while almost 70% experienced low disease activity.

In the trial, 339 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis that had not adequately responded to treatment with methotrexate received either Orencia and MTX or placebo and MTX.