Precision Medicine May Span to Autoimmune Disorders

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) recently announced they will be presenting 34 abstracts about abatacept (Orencia) and its immunotherapy pipeline at the 2017 American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals Annual Meeting.

The abstracts will provide both clinical and real-world data about abatacept in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and active psoriatic arthritis, according to a press release.

The new data will highlight how abatacept affects outcomes and treatment costs for patients who have biomarkers of progressive RA, including anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), according to the release.

BMS will also discuss the link between biomarkers and advanced disease symptoms, such as structural damage.

Additionally, real-world data about patient adherence and safety for abatacept in RA will also be discussed during the conference.

“Bristol-Myers Squibb’s research continues to advance the understanding of the relationship between biomarkers such as ACPA and disease prognosis,” said Brian Gavin, vice president, Orencia development lead, BMS. “These biomarkers play an important role in both identification of patients facing highly active, progressive disease, who traditionally have had poor prognoses, and their treatment plans.”

Data from a 2-year follow-up study for abatacept in patients aged 2 to 7 years with JIA will be presented, according to the release.

BMS will also present preclinical and human data from their investigational Bruton’s Tyrosinae Kinase (BTK) inhibitor. BTK is an enzyme inside immune cells and is crucial for immune response, according to the release.

“The Orencia data we are presenting at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting are reflective of our commitment to advancing the science and addressing unmet needs in autoimmune diseases with the ultimate goal of enabling personalized ‘right treatment for the right patient’ approaches.”