Roche Says New Data Confirm MabThera, Actemra Work

[Guest guest]

Roche Says New Data Confirm MabThera, Actemra Work

www.therapeuticsdaily.com/news/article.cfm?contentvalue=1860293 & contenttype=sent\

ryarticle & channelID=29

*Roche presents data on arthritis drugs

*MabThera study shows multiple courses help treatment

*MabThera well tolerated over the long term

*Fifth phase III Actemra study confirms disease remission

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche said on Monday new data showed its

drug MabThera continued to improve patient response in rheumatoid arthritis

with multiple courses of treatment and that it was well tolerated over the

long term.

The group said patients in the study had not responded adequately to another

class of rheumatoid arthritis drug known as tumour necrosis factor (TNF)

inhibitors, which is the most commonly prescribed first-line biologic

therapy.

" Prolonged treatment with MabThera clearly demonstrates an improvement in

symptoms for patients with rheumatoid arthritis who do not respond

adequately to TNF inhibitor therapy, " said Professor Keystone,

Rheumatology Department at the University of Toronto, Canada.

In a separate statement, Roche said a fifth phase III study had confirmed a

" significant rate of disease remission " in patients treated with Actemra and

that the drug can stop structural damage to joints as well as improve

patients' physical function after one year of treatment.

Earlier in October Roche said it was still discussing what additional

information is required for approval of Actemra with U.S. regulators after

the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requested more information related to

the manufacturing of the drug.

Roche is presenting the data at the American College of Rheumatology's

annual meeting in San Francisco.