1. Scrip
  2. >>Therapy Areas
  3. >>Immunological

Pfizer's Xeljanz: The Slow Road To Blockbuster Status

 
• By Jessica Merrill

The oral pill, perhaps best known to investors for failing to live up to initial expectations in rheumatoid arthritis, has found its groove – and new opportunities in psoriatic arthritis and ulcerative colitis are on the horizon.

pills

It has been almost five years since Pfizer Inc.'s Xeljanz (tofacitinib) was approved by the US FDA for rheumatoid arthritis, and the drug is just finally reaching the blockbuster-level sales investors had been hoping for years ago.

Xeljanz' long road to blockbuster status points to the challenges new drugs face in competitive therapeutic categories like rheumatoid arthritis, even when they offer a valuable benefit to patients. In the case of Xeljanz, the drug was a first-in-class JAK inhibitor and the first new oral option in a category dominated by injectable tumor necrosis factor inhibitors like AbbVie Inc.'s Humira (adalimumab) and Amgen Inc

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Immunological

Merck & Co. CMO Barr On Breaking Into Immunology And Ophthalmology

 
• By Jessica Merrill

Chief medical officer Eliav Barr discussed Merck’s investment in new therapeutic areas and business development in an interview with Scrip.

J&J’s Imaavy Approval Is The Starting Line For Pipeline-In-A-Product Strategy

 
• By Jessica Merrill

The company’s FcRn inhibitor nipocalimab was approved by the US FDA for generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), where it will join a competitive market.

In Brief: AbbVie’s Rinvoq Secures US Approval For Giant Cell Arteritis

 
• By Sushmita Panda

JAK inhibitor gains ninth indication in US after a strong performance in the first quarter.

EU Approves Tremfya In Third Indication, Ulcerative Colitis

 
• By Sushmita Panda

J&J secures EU approval for its IL-23 inhibitor Tremfya for ulcerative colitis, its third indication in the region, amid strong competition in the sector. EU approval is also awaited for Crohn’s disease.

More from Therapy Areas

Shionogi In $1bn Deal For Japan Tobacco’s Pharma Ops

 
• By Ian Haydock

Mid-sized Japanese pharma firm to acquire tobacco giant’s pharma operations and take private the listed Torii Pharmaceutical business, in bid to build sales reach and strengthen manufacturing.

Copycats Compound Novo’s Wegovy Growth Problems

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

The US FDA has ordered compounders of the Danish firm's obesity drug semaglutide to shut up shop later this month, but competition from Eli Lilly is only increasing.

First Win For AstraZeneca’s Enhertu In Early-Stage Breast Cancer Treatment

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

Already dominating in later lines of breast cancer treatment, Enhertu could now displace both chemotherapy combinations and Roche’s Kadcyla in early-stage HER2-positive patients.