Just thought i'd post here about a clinical trail i'm currently on as I couldn't see any other posts about it.
The trial is run by Pfizer and the drug's called CP690,550. It's similar to AntiTNF in as much as it blocks a chemical signalling molecule but it's supposed to work in a different way and targets a different molecule which is known as Janus Kinase - or JAK3. The drug is tablet form rather than infusion or injection.
The trial itself is only at Phase II and therefor very short - 4 weeks of treatment and a follow up 4 weeks later. It's likely to be of very little lasting benefit at this stage because of the shortness of the trial but i'm told if they decide it is beneficial in Crohns (it showed very good results in Rheumatoid Arthritis trials) the Phase III will be much longer.
So does it work? Well i finished the 4 weeks treatment yesterday and for me I noticed an improvement in symptoms in weeks 3 and 4 - hardly any pain at all in those two weeks and BM down to 4 or 5 per day in comparison to 7 or 8, even 9, before the trial. Oh, an no waking up during the night!
I am on 20mg Prednisolone as well however so it will be these next 4 weeks without the trial drug where I see if the improvement was down to that or Pred. Also I don't know if I was on the high, medium or low dose of the drug or indeed placebo. I will point out though that I was on Pred previous to the trial at a higher dose, and didn't see as good an improvement as i did while taking the trial drug.
So there you go, just thought i'd let people know there's another treatment in the pipeline and maybe look out for the Phase III trial. I'll let you know how i get on over the next few weeks and also when I find out what exactly i've been taking for the past 4 weeks!
The trial is run by Pfizer and the drug's called CP690,550. It's similar to AntiTNF in as much as it blocks a chemical signalling molecule but it's supposed to work in a different way and targets a different molecule which is known as Janus Kinase - or JAK3. The drug is tablet form rather than infusion or injection.
The trial itself is only at Phase II and therefor very short - 4 weeks of treatment and a follow up 4 weeks later. It's likely to be of very little lasting benefit at this stage because of the shortness of the trial but i'm told if they decide it is beneficial in Crohns (it showed very good results in Rheumatoid Arthritis trials) the Phase III will be much longer.
So does it work? Well i finished the 4 weeks treatment yesterday and for me I noticed an improvement in symptoms in weeks 3 and 4 - hardly any pain at all in those two weeks and BM down to 4 or 5 per day in comparison to 7 or 8, even 9, before the trial. Oh, an no waking up during the night!
I am on 20mg Prednisolone as well however so it will be these next 4 weeks without the trial drug where I see if the improvement was down to that or Pred. Also I don't know if I was on the high, medium or low dose of the drug or indeed placebo. I will point out though that I was on Pred previous to the trial at a higher dose, and didn't see as good an improvement as i did while taking the trial drug.
So there you go, just thought i'd let people know there's another treatment in the pipeline and maybe look out for the Phase III trial. I'll let you know how i get on over the next few weeks and also when I find out what exactly i've been taking for the past 4 weeks!
