Rheumatoid arthritis – new compound shows potential as future treatment

A new chemical compound could be developed into a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, researchers explain in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
The US group developed the compound in a previous study, and have now investigated how the small-molecule therapy works against rheumatoid arthritis.
IQ-1S was found to be able to significantly reduce the severity of collagen-induced arthritis (which is a model for rheumatoid arthritis) and inhibit the destruction of bone and cartilage. It works by targeting the proteins that send out signals for destructive and inflammatory processes and inhibiting them, therefore suppressing inflammation in joint tissue and lymph node cells.
Because the new compound has a different mode of action it is hoped that it could be developed into a viable alternative to biologic therapies, which are expensive and do not deliver long-term benefits for everybody with rheumatoid arthritis.
“There is a real need to develop new kinds of drugs that are different,” points out Prof Mark Quinn, senior author. “They could be combined with other available drugs or replace drugs that aren’t working for patients.”
The next step will be a series of clinical trials to demonstrate safety and effectiveness in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

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Image credit: Prayitno