09:27 AM EDT, 04/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- AbbVie ( ABBV ) said Thursday that its drug candidate upadacitinib, in combination with a 26-week steroid regimen, achieved its primary endpoint of "sustained remission" from week 12 through week 52 in a phase 3 study of adults with giant cell arteritis.

In the study, 46% of patients receiving upadacitinib 15 mg with a 26-week steroid taper regimen achieved sustained remission, compared to 29% receiving placebo with a 52-week steroid taper regimen, the company said

Key secondary endpoints were also met, the company said, including a higher percentage of patients treated with upadacitinib with the 26-week steroid regimen achieving sustained complete remission from week 12, compared to patients receiving placebo with a 52-week steroid taper.

The company said the drug was "generally well-tolerated with no new safety signals identified."