Roche gets European approval for RoACTEMRA

Roche will now be able to treat a rare and severe form of arthritis with its RoACTEMRA medicine following approval by the European Commission.

Dr Hal Barron, chief medical officer and head of global product development at the firm, described the news as an "important advance" in the treatment of Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA).

Patients from two years old who have not responded positively to therapy using NSAIDs and systemic corticosteroids can now be offered.

"RoACTEMRA is the first and only biological treatment to demonstrate significant efficacy in this patient population and offers physicians a new option for this extremely difficult to treat disease." added Dr Barron.

According to Roche, sJIA affects up to 20 percent of youngsters with JIA and its effects can persist into adulthood.

Last month, the firm announced that it had won the contract to support the Early Infant Diagnosis Programme at South Africa's National Health Laboratory Services.