AARDA pleased with FDA's approval of RA drug ACTEMRA

Friday, January 8, 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ACTEMRA® (tocilizumab), a new biologic response modifier for adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

We are pleased with the FDA's approval of this new drug as it offers a promising new option available to those suffering from this debilitating autoimmune disease, especially those who have failed other forms of treatment. Of the more than 80 autoimmune diseases, RA is one of the most common and one of the more difficult autoimmune rheumatic diseases to control. It is a progressive disease that can affect many joints, most commonly the small joints of the hands. Inflammation and thickening of the tissue that lines the joints, which is the result of an autoimmune attack on the tissue, causes pain and swelling and, if left untreated or inadequately or improperly treated may progress to cause destruction of the bones, deformity and, eventually, disability.

RA affects all ethnic groups with females 2.5 times more likely than males to develop the disease. The overall prevalence of RA in the United States is 1.3 million.

In the treatment of RA, as in the treatment of all the other autoimmune diseases, AARDA believes it is critical for patients and physicians to work together to find the most effective treatment regimen.