Project portfolio

RhuDex™ – oral treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

RhuDex™ is a novel, orally available compound for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, originating from Active Biotech’s patented CD80 antagonists, out-licensed to MediGene AG. RhuDex™ is being developed as a disease-modifying drug for the treatment of rheumatic diseases and has a distinct competitive advantage in being the first orally available disease-modifying drug that blocks T-cell stimulation. RhuDex™ inhibits the underlying disease process and blocks specific CD80 activation of inflammatory T cells, and inhibits the release of cytokines such as TNF.

Rheumatoid arthritis

RA - Rheumatoid Arthritis – is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the body’s joints and causes inflammations in synovial membranes and tendon sheaths. The inflammation can damage articular cartilage and surrounding skeletal areas, which means that the patient can eventually be affected by a physically debilitating handicap. The disease can begin at any age, but most often starts after age forty and before sixty. Of those affected, approximately two of three are women. The disease affects more than 1 percent of the global population, can be found throughout the world and is equally as common on all continents. Medical treatment consists primarily of pain-alleviating and anti-inflammatory treatment. Currently, the cause of RA is unknown, although there are several theories. In some families, multiple members can be affected, suggesting a genetic basis for the disorder.