| Background | Olokizumab (CDP6038), a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for the interleukin-6 (IL-6) cytokine, is currently in development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It targets the IL-6 cytokine rather than the receptor, and selectively blocks the final assembly of the signalling complex. In Phase I (healthy volunteers) and IIa (patients with RA on MTX) clinical trials, olokizumab was well tolerated after intravenous and subcutaneous delivery with a median plasma half-life of approximately 31 days, 76% bioavailability and no apparent antidrug antibody-mediated clearance. Olokizumab also markedly reduced free IL-6 levels and suppressed C-reactive protein (CRP) up to 12 weeks after single-dose subcutaneous administration in patients with RA. |
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