Discovery and commercialisation of a new drug for rheumatoid arthritis and related conditions
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen discovered a novel drug for the treatment of this condition and related disorders. They showed that small-molecule drugs might be as efficient as expensive biological agents in treating autoimmune disease - when the body's immune system attacks and destroys healthy tissue by mistake.
The new drug is now in clinical trials and has the potential to transform the way rheumatoid arthritis is treated. Aberdeen has commercialised its research into a University spin out company and has entered into a licence agreement with one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.
University of Aberdeen research has given the pharmaceutical industry a new model for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory/autoimmune disorders
Dr Iain Greig
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Key publications
- van 't Hof RJ, Idris AI, Ridge SA, Dunford J, Greig IR and Ralston SH (2004). Identification of biphenylcarboxylic acid derivatives as a novel class of bone resorption inhibitors. J. Bone Miner. Res., 19, 1651-1660.
- Idris AI, van 't Hof RJ, Greig IR, Ridge SA, Ross RA, Ralston SH. (2005). Regulation of bone mass, bone loss and osteoclast activity by the cannabinoid CB1 receptor. Nat. Med., 11, 774-779.
- Greig IR, Idris AI, Ralston SH and van 't Hof RJ. (2006). Development and characterization of biphenyl sulfonamides as novel inhibitors of bone resorption. J. Med. Chem., 49, 6487-7492
- Idris AI, Greig IR, Bassonga-Landao E, Ralston SH and van 't Hof RJ. (2009). Identification of novel biphenyl carboxylic acid derivatives as novel antiresorptive agents which do not impair PTH induced bone formation. Endocrinology, 150, 5-13.
- Greig IR, Coste E, Ralston SH and van 't Hof RJ. (2010). Discovery of biphenylketones as dual modulators of inflammation and bone loss. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 20, 5548-5551.
- Greig IR, Coste E, Ralston SH and van 't Hof RJ (2013). Development of triarylsulfonamides as novel anti-inflammatory agents. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 23, 816-820.