Headline news from Sky News - Witness the event

[Guest guest]

  50% of those treated show 'significant improvement'

ARTHRITIS CURE CLOSE

Doctors believe they may have made a breakthrough in the treatment of

rheumatoid arthritis.

They say that just two injections of a new drug can allow sufferers to

return to a normal, active life for at least a year.

The debilitating disease afflicts around 350,000 people in Britain alone.

The new drug, rituximab, acts by suppressing antibody production within the

immune system.

" Major improvements "

This serves to break a key part of the cycle that leads to arthritic

inflammation.

More than 50% of patients treated in the trial showed " major improvements "

and a further 23% demonstrated a " brilliant response " , the trial found.

Professor Jo , from University College, London, headed the team that

set up the trial.

" An arthritis cure is now firmly on the agenda, " said Professor .

Return to work

" This study proves the scientific validity of the benefits of rituximab to

rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.

" It's like having a bug in your computer. Rituximab re-boots part of your

immune system and when you switch it back on the bug is gone. "

He said patients given the treatment had been able to return to work and in

some cases take up sport again.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30700-12152067,00.html