The FDA has approved the drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Actemra, the only product on the market that will actively prevent this inflammatory process at the source. Although there are 9 biologically designed products on the market that will treat certain forms of arthritis, Actemra is the only drug that is targeting the disease at the molecular level.

Actemra prevent the arthritis by effectively halting the processing ability of a specific molecular protein known as Interleukin 6 which is known to cause inflammation in the bones and joints of the human body.

Roche’s Actemra (tocilizumab) can significantly inhibit structural damage to joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a critical measure of effectiveness of an RA treatment. Actemra also improved the patients’ physical function after one year of therapy, leading to a better quality of life. Results from the LITHE1 trial showed that a greater proportion of patients treated with Actemra in combination with a commonly used RA drug called methotrexate (MTX) benefited from a significant inhibition of structural damage during 12 months of therapy, compared to patients treated with MTX alone. Additionally, Actemra improved the patients’ ability to perform normal daily activities.