Irish pharmaceutical company Elan has announced it has applied for approval for trials of a new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic progressive disease of the immune system that affects some six million people worldwide.
The new drug, natalizumab, treats the inflammation associated with the disease, and Elan hopes it can also be used in the treatment of other diseases such as Crohns disease.
To date, more than 4,000 patients have participated in natalizumab clinical studies.
"With the IND application process complete, we can now proceed with the clinical trials that will evaluate the ability of natalizumab to treat people with rheumatoid arthritis," said Mr Lars Ekman, executive vice-president and president of research and development with Elan.
