Sufferers of serious cases of gout have new hope. The FDA has approved a new drug – Krystexxa – to be made available later this year.
A new drug to treat serious cases of gout finally won approval from the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday.
The drug, called Krystexxa, is expected to be available later this year, according to its developer, Savient Pharmaceuticals. The company has said that following approval, it would try to sell itself to another company, which would then market the drug.
“About 3 percent of the three million adults who suffer from gout are not helped by conventional therapy,’’ Dr. Badrul Chowdhury, an F.D.A. official, said in a news release issued by the agency. “This new drug offers an important new option for them.’’
Krystexxa is part of a new wave of drugs being developed for gout, which is often called the “disease of kings” because it can be brought on by a diet rich in red meat, seafood and alcohol that was once available only to the upper crust.
From NY Times