April 16, 2008-Roche and Chugai (alliance partners) has received approval for their product Actemra (tocilizumab), for the treatment of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Actemra was approved by the Japanese authorities for the indication of RA and two forms of the disease that affect children, known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis and systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Japan is the first market worldwide to get access to Actemra for the treatment of RA. The approval is based on compelling data from clinical trials conducted in Japan that showed Actemra was highly effective in controlling the symptoms and progression of this serious disease.
Actemra is the first of a new class of drug with a novel mechanism of action that brings new hope to RA patients. It is a humanized interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor-inhibiting monoclonal antibody, which works by suppressing the activity of IL-6, an important trigger of the inflammatory process. This novel mode of action reduces inflammation of the joints and relieves the systemic effects of RA.
Since 2005, Actemra has been marketed in Japan for the treatment of patients with a rare auto-immume condition known as Castleman's disease. Actemra licence applications have also been filed for treatment of RA in the US and the European Union in 2007, and are currently under review.
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