Pfizer arthritis pill ‘lowers pain levels’

New York: Pfizer’s experimental pill for rheumatoid arthritis reduced pain and inflammation for 71% of patients in a study that may help the company supplant injectable drugs with $12 billion (€8.55bn) in yearly sales.

The treatment, called tasocitinib, lessened inflammation by 20% or more for patients after six months, according to Saeed Fatenejad, head of late-stage trials in inflammation and immunology at New York-based Pfizer. While the medicine raised bad as well as good cholesterol levels during the study, there was no increase seen in heart attacks or strokes.

Pfizer is racing three biotechnology companies to sell the first pill in a decade for rheumatoid arthritis, which affects 1.3 million Americans.