Drug launch to treat polyarticular juvenile arthritis

A drug called RoActemra (tocilizumab) is now available as a treatment option for a severe form of juvenile arthritis. Polyarticular juvenile arthritis has a poor prognosis as the remission rate is only 15% over 10 years. Around 30–40% of children with polyarticular juvenile arthritis require early joint replacement.

In 2011 RoActemra was approved for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and now it’s available for children with polyarticular juvenile arthritis too. It can be given alone or in combination with methotrexate and it showed a significant reduction of flares in a clinical study.

“I am excited that RoActemra is now available in pJIA, as clinicians can treat children affected by this debilitating disease with this new treatment option,” says Dr A V Ramanan from Bristol Royal Hospital for Children & Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases. ”The fact that it will now be readily available for patients across the UK gives hope to hundreds of children that doing the things that other kids do in their day-to- day lives may soon be a reality. RoActemra provides an extra option for children with difficult to control disease.”