Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, immune-mediated, heterogenous disease that can cause a range of different symptoms, including joint pain and swelling, as well as a psoriatic rash with itchy, scaly patches. It can affect any part of the body, including the fingers, hips, pelvis, knees, ankles and toes, as well as the skin, and it can lead to increased risk of serious comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, depression and anxiety.
Decades of scientific investigation have led to significant advancements in understanding the underlying mechanisms of PsA. As a result, various treatment options are now available. However, a significant proportion of people living with PsA still experience suboptimal disease management and dissatisfaction with current treatments. Additionally, physicians continue to express a need for safe and effective oral treatments that improve patients’ joint and skin disease.
Nataraj Kalyanaraman, vice president and global program lead, Immunology drug development at Bristol Myers Squibb, provides his perspective on steps being taken and what still needs to be done to improve outcomes and quality of life for people living with PsA.
The current treatment landscape for PsA includes a variety of options aimed at reducing inflammation, controlling symptoms and slowing disease progression. These include anti-inflammatory medications and conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, as well as advanced medications targeting specific immune pathways.
However, there remains a need for more effective therapies that are safe and well-tolerated, as well as convenient for patients.
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Bristol Myers Squibb is focused on developing medicines that address that need.
“Over the last 30 years, Bristol Myers Squibb has made considerable advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that drive the development and progression of inflammatory disease, including PsA,” said Kalyanaraman. “Investigating both common and distinct immunopathologic pathways, such as those underpinning rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, has reinforced our knowledge of these conditions and has led us to discover more targeted therapies.”
These learnings and experience over the years in inflammatory disease have effectively laid the foundation for novel approaches to address the continued unmet needs in PsA. Broadly, these learnings are also being applied across a variety of immune-mediated rheumatic conditions, including systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren’s disease, investigating and leveraging a range of therapeutic approaches, from small molecules to cell therapies.
“Our approach to immunotherapy research – addressing the root causes of disease by controlling inflammation through modulation of immune pathways, resetting the immune system and promoting homeostasis and tissue repair – is enabling us to deliver transformational therapies for people living with several immune-mediated rheumatic conditions,” Kalyanaraman said.
Bristol Myers Squibb’s basic, translational and clinical research is built on an understanding of the external world, including the science that's been driven by academic institutions and other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In fact, increased collaboration among academia, industry, patients and patient advocacy groups can lead to a more efficient and better understanding of conditions like PsA, including patient points of view and needs, which can then lead to improved treatments.
“We continue to develop innovative medicines that represent meaningful advancements in the field of rheumatology. Through our research and development efforts, we strive to deliver medicines that will result in improved clinical outcomes, enable tailored treatment approaches to address unmet medical needs and ultimately improve the lives of patients living with these conditions,” Kalyanaraman said.
Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. As global citizens, we work sustainably and responsibly to create a positive impact in the communities where we live and work.