(Reuters) -Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday it has decided not to proceed with the development of its combination drug in patients with a type of arthritis, after results from a mid-stage trial did not show sufficient benefit.

The company was studying the combination of its drug nipocalimab with an anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) therapy, which helps to stop inflammation.

In the mid-stage trial, the combination therapy failed to show a significant added benefit over anti-TNFα therapy alone in difficult-to-treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the lining of the joints.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi and Vijay Kishore)

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