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Certolizumab Shows Significant Benefit in Moderate to Severe Crohn’s Disease
Jul 27, 2005, 14:11, Reviewed by: Dr.
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“These results are highly encouraging, showing a significant potential to address the considerable unmet medical need in the treatment of Crohn’s disease and to bring new hope to the hundreds of thousands of patients affected by this debilitating disease."
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By UCB,
UCB today announced significant positive results for the two pivotal phase III trials (PRECISE 1 and 2) of CIMZIATM (certolizumab pegol, CDP870) in the induction and maintenance of clinical response in moderate to severe active Crohn’s disease. The PRECiSE trials assessed the safety and efficacy of CIMZIA compared to placebo over a 26 week period, in a total of 1330 patients with active Crohn’s disease.
The primary endpoints in both the PRECiSE 1 and PRECiSE 2 trials were met with statistical significance, irrespective of C-reactive protein (CRP, a marker of inflammation) status or prior exposure to anti-TNF therapy. In addition, data from both trials suggest CIMZIATM is well-tolerated.
CIMZIATM is therefore the first subcutaneously-administered anti-TNF biologic to successfully meet the primary endpoints in a phase III clinical trial programme in Crohn's disease.
A regulatory submission for CIMZIATM in the treatment of Crohn’s disease is scheduled to be submitted in both the US and Europe within the next six to nine months.
“These results are highly encouraging, showing a significant potential to address the considerable unmet medical need in the treatment of Crohn’s disease and to bring new hope to the hundreds of thousands of patients affected by this debilitating disease”, commented Prof. William Sandborn, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA, principal investigator on the PRECiSE 1 trial. “The results from the PRECiSE trials suggest CIMZIA to be highly effective at reducing the symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease”.
Dr. Stefan Schreiber, principal investigator on the PRECiSE 2 trial, and Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology at the Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany, further highlighted the advantages of CIMZIATM in “offering highly convenient dosing with a patient-friendly, subcutaneous route of administration, having the potential to improve the long-term management of this lifelong disease”.
Data from PRECiSE 1 and 2 will be presented in more detail at the major forthcoming gastroenterology congresses.
“The findings of the PRECiSE trials are consistent with our vision of changing patients lives for the better”, said Roch Doliveux, CEO, UCB. “With the robust clinical results and its subcutaneous administration, CIMZIATM has the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment of Crohn’s disease”.
About Crohn’s disease
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract with the disease typically localized in the terminal part of the ileum and right colon. Crohn’s disease affects almost 1 million patients worldwide, with the disease typically appearing early in life.
About CIMZIATM
CIMZIATM is a unique anti-TNF biologic. CIMZIATM is a PEGylated Fab’ fragment of a humanised anti-TNF ? monoclonal antibody, with high affinity for both soluble and membrane-bound TNF ?. CIMZIATM is currently the subject of phase III clinical trials in both Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis. 
- UCB
www.ucb-group.com
About UCB
UCB (www.ucb-group.com) is a global biopharmaceutical leader with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, specialising in the fields of central nervous system disorders, allergy and respiratory diseases, immune and inflammatory disorders, as well as oncology. UCB key products are Keppra® (antiepileptic), Xyzal® and Zyrtec® (antiallergics), Nootropil® (cerebral function regulator), Tussionex™ (antitussive) and Metadate™ / Equasym XL™ (attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder). UCB employs over 8,500 people operating in over 40 countries. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels with a market capitalization of approximately € 5.8 billion.
For enquiries, please contact:
Jean-Christophe Donck
Vice President
Corporate Communication & Investor Relations
Phone +32 2 559 9588
Fax +32 2 559 9571
Email [email protected]
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