Rheumatoid arthritis drug, fostamatinib, is scrapped

 The development of a rheumatoid arthritis drug that was nearing the end of the experimental phase of trials has been ditched, due to disappointing results.

Fostamatinib was one of AstraZeneca’s new drug hopes and was going to compete with Humira and Xeljanz. But a series of clinical trials over the last six months were disappointing, suggesting that the new pill would struggle to compete in an already crowded marketplace.

Other new drugs, however, are under currently under development.