Scientists from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have developed what could be the next big blockbuster treatment for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.

This discovery is being commercialised by G2 Therapies Ltd, a biotechnology company founded by Garvan, which today announced the signing of an AU$135 million research development and licensing agreement with Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk.

Clinical trials

All things going well the new anti-inflammatory should enter clinical trials in late 2007. The first of these trials will be on healthy volunteers without inflammatory disease to test the safety of the drug and to screen for any side effects. Only after this phase is complete will volunteers with inflammatory illnesses be required. It is too early to tell if the clinical trials will be for patients with rheumatoid arthritis only or if other inflammatory illnesses will also be trialed.

Since the pharmaceutical company we are partnered with, Novo Nordisk, will be looking after the clinical trials, we are unsure at this stage if clinical trials on human patients will take place in Australia or overseas. The rigorous pre-clinical and clinical testing that is required for all new medical products means that it will be at least 5-10 years before a drug can reach the market.

It is best to contact your rheumatologist for information on the latest clinical trials.