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Novartis study shows ACZ885 drug effective in treatment of gout

Published: 17:53 25 May 2011 BST

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Novartis (NYSE:NVS) announced Wednesday it has gathered promising data results from its phase three study of ACZ885, for the treatment of gout.

Gout, which affects between 1% and 4% of adults across the globe, is a form of arthritis that is characterized by red, hot, inflamed joints. Approximately 90% of patients with gout have another co-existing disease, making them ineligible for many of existing gout treatments.

The phase three study of Novartis' ACZ885, which will be presented at the 2011 European League Against Reumatism Congress in London, showed ACZ885 more effective than the steroid treatment, triamcinolone acetonide (TA), in decreasing pain levels and the time between new gout attacks in patients.

Two separate studies examined over 450 gout sufferers, all of whom were either ineligible for or unresponsive to other treatments, with patients given either one does of TA or one dose of ACZ885.

The first study found that ACZ885 reduced pain by an additional 29% on a visual analog scale when compared to TA, and nearly double the number of patients who received TA doses experienced a second gout attack within three months.

The second study expressed similar results, with ACZ885 reducing pain by an additional 31%, with nearly thee times as many patients in the TA group experiencing a second attack within three months.

Basel, Switzerland-based Novartis has already marketed the drug under the brand Ilaris. It is approved in Europe, Switzerland and the U.S. to treat both adults and children with Crypyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes, a rare inflammatory disorder.

ACZ885 stops the production of IL-1 beta, a cause of inflammatory diseases like gout. It is currently being studied in other diseases where IL-1 beta plays a role, and regulatory filings have been submitted in Europe, Switzerland, the U.S. and Canada.

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