FDA approves Actemra for the treatment of Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (SJIA)

Medicine offers a new option for children living with a rare and severe form of arthritis

20-Apr-2011 - Switzerland

Roche announced that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Actemra for the treatment of active Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) in patients two years of age and older. Actemra can be given alone or in combination with methotrexate in patients with SJIA.

Actemra (tocilizumab, known as RoActemra in the European Union) is the first medicine approved by the FDA for the treatment of SJIA, a rare and severe form of arthritis affecting children. SJIA has the worst long-term prognosis of all types of childhood arthritis.

“Today’s FDA approval marks an important advance in the treatment of SJIA, a debilitating condition affecting children,” said Hal Barron, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Head Global Product Development. “As the first and only approved treatment for SJIA, Actemra offers a new option for this extremely difficult to treat disease. This approval also demonstrates our commitment to science and patients with high unmet medical need, including orphan diseases."

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