Results for the Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) oral strategy which was designed to treat rheumatoid arthritis in patients showing symptoms that range between the moderate and the severe have been announced. In the study, a JAK inhibitor, Pfizer’s Xeljanz was given to patients.

“Oral Strategy is the first trial to compare a JAK inhibitor as monotherapy or in combination with methotrexate (MTX) versus adalimumab (Humira) plus MTX in MTX inadequate responders using ACR50 at Month 6 as the primary endpoint,” explained Pfizer in a press release.

Works as a combination therapy

Results showed that the testing of the JAK inhibitor together with methotrexate as a combination therapy proved that Xeljianz was in no way inferior to Humira, an AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV) drug. But the testing of the JAK inhibitor without the combination of any other drug showed that the drug did not work as well as it did when used in combination.

In the study, 1,152 patients were enrolled. They were then separated into 3 distinct groups. In one group consisting of 386 patients, a dose of 5 milligrams of the JAK inhibitor was administered to the subjects two times each day. Another group consisting of 378 patients had a dose of between 12 and 25 mg of methotrexate administered on a weekly basis in combination with a dose of 5 mg of the JAK inhibitor two times a day. The last group consisting of 388 patients had 40 mg of Humira injected into them on a weekly basis plus a dose of methotrexate weighing between 15 and 25 mg administered on a weekly basis as well.

Pharmaceutical conference

A more comprehensive report is expected to be unveiled during a scientific meeting that will be held in the near future. In the fourth quarter of 2016, Xeljianz’s sales comprised close to a third of the revenues from the immunology and inflammation segment. This was about 2% of the overall revenues of the company in the same quarter.

In Monday’s trading session, shares of Pfizer Inc rose slightly by 0.06% to close the day at $34.28.