Roche sees arthritis drug approved in Europe

Roche’s new rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drug RoACTEMRA (tocilizumab) has been approved by the European Commission, the company has announced.

The interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor-inhibiting monoclonal antibody has been found to help adult patients who have not responded adequately to one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or tumour necrosis factor antagonists, or those who are intolerant to these treatments.

William M Burns, chief executive of Roche’s Pharmaceuticals Division, explained the need for such a drug: “Many patients suffering from RA fail to respond to any treatment and few actually achieve lasting remission, which is currently the ultimate goal of treatment for RA.”

RoACTEMRA is the first IL-6 drug which has been developed for RA treatment, following the identification of the protein as key to the inflammation process.

Mr Burns said it brings “new hope” to RA sufferers and the company plans to work with EU member countries to make the therapy available to patients as soon as possible.

Roche – which markets RoACTEMRA as Actemra outside the EU – was founded in 1896.