XELJANZ (tofacitinib citrate) Receives Marketing Authorisation in the European Union for Active Psoriatic Arthritis

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) announced today that the European Commission (EC) has approved XELJANZ (tofacitinib citrate) 5 mg twice daily (BID) in combination with methotrexate (MTX) for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adult patients who have had an inadequate response or who have been intolerant to a prior disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy.

As quoted in the press release:

“People living with psoriatic arthritis may experience a variety of symptoms, making the condition particularly difficult to diagnose and treat,”said Angela Lukin, Regional President, Inflammation and Immunology, Pfizer. “We are proud that we are now able to offer XELJANZ as an option to adult patients living with active psoriatic arthritis in the European Union.”

The EC approval was based on a submission package that included data from the Phase 3 Oral Psoriatic Arthritis TriaLs (OPAL) clinical development program in PsA, which consisted of two pivotal studies, OPAL Broaden and OPAL Beyond, as well as available data from an ongoing long-term extension trial, OPAL Balance.^3,4,5

“Psoriatic arthritis, a chronic inflammatory condition which affects between 1.5 and 3 million people in Europe, causes joint pain and swelling that can eventually lead to permanent joint damage if not diagnosed and treated sufficiently early on,” said Frank Behrens, Rheumatology at Goethe University and Fraunhofer IME-Translational Medicine & Pharmacology, Frankfurt, Germany. “This approval for XELJANZ is an important milestone for the psoriatic arthritis community, who are in need of an additional oral treatment option to help manage their condition.”

Click here to read the full press release.