Roche receives NICE approval for juvenile arthritis drug RoActemra

Roche has received approval from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for its drug RoActemra to be recommended as a therapy for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

The regulatory body has issued positive final guidance for the treatment to become the first effective and licensed biologic for this condition in the UK, based on positive clinical data.

In studies, the drug proved that it is capable of delivering a 90 percent improvement in symptoms in around two-thirds of patients, meaning it could benefit up to 2,500 children in Britain currently living with the disease.

Up until this point, anti-inflammatory drugs have been the only means of treating juvenile arthritis, despite the fact that these treatments do not slow disease progression and can cause side effects.

Ailsa Bosworth, chief executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, said: "This new NICE guidance for RoActemra will mean healthcare professionals can offer their young patients an effective and important treatment option in this setting, providing hope for all involved."

This comes after the company published clinical data last month showing that RoActemra can offer benefits in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, both as a monotherapy and as part of a combination regimen.