FDA APPROVES RITUXAN - THE FIRST B-CELL TARGETED TREATMENT FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS THERAPY TARGETS DISEASE IN A NEW WAY

June 28, 2006

Rheumatoid arthritis, known as RA, is a debilitating autoimmune disease that affects more than two million Americans and is 2.5 times more common in women than men. Although recent medical advances like TNF antagonist medications have been helpful for some patients, as many as one-third do not respond adequately to these therapies. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new option for patients who don't respond adequately to TNF antagonist therapies. The drug - Rituxan - treats RA in a new way by targeting immune cells called B-cells that may play multiple roles in this disease.