Breakthrough Treatment For Rheumatoid Arthritis Offers New Hope To Patients

Today's Irish launch of RoActemra, a new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from Roche, is being hailed as a breakthrough in the fight against this incurable and often debilitating disease. RoActemra (tocilizumab) is the first medication of its kind developed for the treatment of RA and provides an innovative therapy option (1), which gives people with RA fast relief of RA signs and symptoms, such as pain. Also, people receiving RoActemra continue to benefit from increased relief during the course of treatment, with approximately half reaching remission (minimal signs and symptoms) by one year.

In a recent Irish survey* when asked how rheumatoid arthritis affects the lives of people with the condition, the majority of respondents cited pain as the most prominent feature (2). According to respondents nearly half (47%) of those with RA experience pain, with nearly all of these (94%) describing the pain as moderate or severe (2). When people living with RA were asked, nearly two-thirds (65%) cited pain as being the biggest affect of RA on their lives (2).

The arrival of RoActemra to Ireland has been favourably received by physicians and Arthritis Ireland alike, as there is still a huge unmet medical need in RA. According to the research, 78% of people with RA take medication for their condition, but a massive 95% of those still experience pain (2). "Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive inflammatory disease of the joints and surrounding tissues that can cause intense pain, disability and irreversible joint destruction," commented Professor Douglas Veale, Consultant Rheumatologist, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin. "As the research shows, there is still a need for new treatment options in RA, so I welcome the arrival of RoActemra, which offers a new option for Irish physicians and patients alike."

A drug called methotrexate (MTX) is the current standard of care in treating RA and, until now, no biologic drug has been able to show superiority over MTX as measured by scores called ACR20, 50 and 70. These scores indicate 20, 50 and 70 percent improvement respectively in the signs and symptoms of RA, so for example, someone achieving an ACR70 score has seen a 70 percent improvement in their condition. RoActemra is the first and only biologic to demonstrate superiority over MTX in all three ACR scores at six months. RoActemra is licenced for use in combination with MTX or alone in patients intolerant to MTX. It works by blocking one of the most common chemical influencers, called IL-6, in the rheumatoid system. This widespread blocking causes improvement in a range of signs and symptoms in RA, such as reduced inflammation and fatigue. It also stops the disease from progressing, both in the joints and throughout the body.

There are estimated to be around 40,000 people with RA in Ireland (3) and this figure is on the rise. People of any age can develop RA, but it is most common between the ages of 30 and 50 years (4), with seven in ten of those diagnosed with RA having had to give up work as a consequence (3). The disease is more common in women, with an estimated 70% of those with RA being female (3). RA is an autoimmune disease, so-called because a person's immune system, which normally helps protect the body from infection and disease, attacks joint tissues for unknown reasons. It can affect many different joints; often resulting in pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in the joints.

Mr. John Church, Chief Executive of Arthritis Ireland, said: "Arthritis Ireland welcome the introduction of this new therapy, particularly as it shows strong results in achieving remission for RA patients, the ultimate goal for people with this often debilitating disease. Remission, which can be described as minimal disease activity, is the ultimate goal for people with RA."

RoActemra is licensed for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe active RA who have either responded inadequately to, or who were intolerant of, previous RA therapies. It can be used either in combination with methotrexate (MTX) or alone in patients who cannot tolerate MTX. It will be administered to suitable RA patients every four weeks in a hospital setting.