New drug could delay rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups
Scientists have created a new drug called Agg-CLNP that might help delay rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and make symptoms less severe.
It's designed to go straight to joint tissues, calming inflammation without messing with the whole immune system.
Agg-CLNP is designed to target joints
Agg-CLNP uses aggrecan (a cartilage protein) to find joints, and calcitriol (active vitamin D3) to dial down immune attacks.
In lab tests, it lowered inflammatory signals and boosted calming ones in human cells.
In mice, the new drug worked well with existing RA meds
In mice, Agg-CLNP—especially when paired with another RA drug—slowed disease onset, reduced swelling, and helped keep flare-ups under control even after steroids.
The next step: see if it's safe and effective for people in clinical trials.
If it works out, this could mean fewer steroids and better-targeted treatment for RA in the future.