Roche have announced that the European Committee on Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) has given a positive recommendation for RoActemra (tocilizumab, known as Actemra in regions other than the Europe), in combination with methotrexate, for the treatment of mature patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who have either responded inadequately to, or who were intolerant to, earliers therapy with one or more disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or tumour necrosis factor antagonists.

In these patients, RoActemra can be used as monotherapy in cases of intolerance to methotrexate or where continued treatment with methotrexate is  not appropriate. RoActemra is the first interleukin-6 receptor-inhibiting monoclonal antibody developed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and is an innovative new therapy option to help tackle rheumatoid arthritis.