Regeneron's Arcalyst a success in Phase II

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is reporting a success in the mid-stage trial of its gout drug Arcalyst. Researchers say the drug reduced gout flares by 81 percent in the 83-person study. And it hit its main goal by beating a placebo by a statistically significant margin. A late-stage study is scheduled to get underway in early '09.

The New York Times' Andrew Pollack highlights the small number of patients in the study and its comparison to a dummy pill as opposed to approved therapies. He also notes that Arcalyst--currently approved for a set of rare inflammatory diseases--now costs $5,000 for each weekly injection. Regeneron plans to sharply reduce that price if the therapy is approved to treat gout. The drug works by blocking interleukin-1.

- here's Regeneron's release
- read the article in the New York Times

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