Stephen I. Katz on Improving the Lives of Patients with Arthritis

To improve the lives of people with arthritis, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) is working toward a better understanding of the basic biology of diseases affecting the joints, better diagnosis and treatment of arthritis, and better tools to facilitate clinical trials. NIAMS was a key contributor to the development of tofacitinib, the first oral disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a decade, which recently received  approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In the early 1990’s, NIAMS intramural researchers discovered Janus kinase 3, one member of the Janus kinases (JAKs) family of proteins, which are important in regulating the human immune system. This discovery, in concert with other studies, led to the idea that drugs blocking JAKs would suppress the immune system.  A public-private collaboration between NIH and Pfizer led to the development of tofacitinib and, importantly, a new class of drugs, the JAK inhibitors. Continued exploration of basic biology in health and disease will be necessary to identify new targets for intervention. In addition to continued basic research, new methods to diagnose and treat individuals who have, or are at risk of developing, arthritis are needed. NIAMS is participating in both the NIH Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) and the Foundation for the NIH’s Biomarkers Consortium. The AMP aims to develop models for identifying and valid...
Source: PHRMA - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: news