Inhibitors of angiogenesis as treatments of rheumatoid arthritis

E Sussex, UK 15th January 2003 --- New LeadDiscovery Dossier. About 1% of all populations are affected with rheumatoid arthritis, women two to three times more often than men. This translates to a total of 5 million in the major pharmaceutical markets fuelling pharmaceutical sales worth $1.6 billion in 2000. The current trend is to move towards disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). This class was initially represented by immunosuppressants however the rapidly emerging field of angiogenesis, traditionally associated with cancer, is now starting to encroach on the rheumatoid arthritis field as well. Increased angiogenesis is a key component of synovitis and bone modeling in arthritis and preclinical studies of angiogenesis inhibitors in animal models of inflammatory arthritis support the hypothesis that inhibition of neovascularization may reduce inflammation and joint damage. Consequently, molecular mechanisms, pathological consequences and therapeutic targets of blood vessel growth in arthritis are now being investigated at an increasing rate. This report gives an introduction to rheumatoid arthritis including an overview of its pathophysiology, epidemiology and current treatment practices. In addition we describe the process of angiogenesis. Special attention is given to describing those factors that have been implicated in the growth of new blood vessels or those mediators whose normal function is to inhibit angiogenesis during development of rheumatoid arthritis. As well as analyzing candidate targets for the inhibition of arthritic angiogenesis, this report gives a full account of pharmaceutical activity surrounding rheumatoid arthritis, including a description of current market sizes and market predictions with respect to both rheumatoid arthritis and angiogenesis. In addition the report lists over 150 candidates or marketed products developed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Trends in pharmaceutical activity surrounding rheumatoid arthritis are analyzed showing a growth in angiogenesis related activity and all angiogenesis inhibitors being developed for the treatment of the disease as well as all angiogenesis inhibitors in development irrespective of indication are profiled.

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