Licence granted in UK for injectable methotrexate

Metoject can be administered by intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.

A reduction in dose may be required if changing a patient from oral to parenteral administration due to the variable bioavailability of methotrexate after oral administration.

Metoject, adminstered by subcutaneous injection, was compared to oral methotrexate in a study involving 384 methotrexate naive patients. Both groups were given 15mg once weekly and evaluated according to criteria set by the American College of Rheumatology that includes joint mobility, pain and radiographic changes.

After 24 weeks, 78% of the subcutaneous administration group showed a 20% improvement in clinical symptoms and 34% achieved remission of symptoms. This compares favourably to the oral administration group in which 67% of patients showed a 20% improvement in clinical symptoms and 24% achieved remission of symptoms.

Further information: Medac 01786 458086