A recent clinical trials result has raised hopes for new treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis.

It has been recovered that antibody drug tocilizumab is as much as four times more effective than its alternatives, being presently prescribed to arthritis patients. Moreover, after six months of consumption of the drug, it was observed that it greatly reduced the signs of the disease and also symptoms in the patients.

It has been discovered that scientists, who carried out the clinical trials of the drug, in order to prove the capability of tocilizumab, marketed as RoActemra compared its effectiveness, with that of an anti- TNF drug adalimumab (Humira).

The clinical trials were carried out on 326 patients, who were unable to take the basic treatment for the condition, methotrexate (MTX).

MTX is majorly prescribed to only one-third of patients, many of which have to suffer its side-effects, including vomiting, hair loss and mouth ulcers. However, most of these patients are switched over to anti-TNF drugs.

Both the drugs, anti-TNF and tocilizumab target inflammatory molecules, however, molecules are different. While anti-TNF targets molecule tumor necrosis factor, tocilizumab targets protein, interleukin six (IL-6).

Consultant Rheumatologist Professor Paul Emery, University of Leeds, who took part in the trial, said: "These results are impressive and important for the 30% of patients with RA who cannot take MTX".