Data Demonstrated ACTEMRA(R) (tocilizumab) Significantly Inhibited Progression of Structural Joint Damage in Rheumatoid Arthriti...( - Additional data reinforce long-ter...),Health

- Additional data reinforce long-term efficacy of ACTEMRA across a broad range of rheumatoid arthritis patient populations -

NUTLEY, N.J., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- One-year data from the two-year Phase III LITHE (TociLIzumab Safety and THE Prevention of Structural Joint Damage) study demonstrated that a greater proportion of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with ACTEMRA(R) (tocilizumab), a novel interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor inhibitor, in combination with methotrexate, experienced a significant inhibition in the progression of structural joint damage compared with patients treated with methotrexate alone. These data will be presented at the 10th Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) in Copenhagen, Denmark, along with additional studies that support the use of ACTEMRA as a long-term treatment option for patients with moderately to severely active RA.

In the one-year LITHE study, disease remission (DAS28(1) <2.6) was demonstrated in 30 percent and 47 percent of patients treated with ACTEMRA 4 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg, respectively, compared with 8 percent of patients treated with placebo plus methotrexate.

"Inhibiting RA from progressing further by achieving disease remission provides real-life benefits to patients, while at the same time helping them maintain day-to-day function," said Joel Kremer, M.D., lead investigator of the LITHE study and Director of Research at The Center for Rheumatology in Albany, New York. "The LITHE study also demonstrated the efficacy of ACTEMRA even in patients with a relatively long disease duration, which suggests that it may be an effective treatment option for many RA patients."

Additionally, the one-year LITHE study results showed that patients treated with ACTEMRA (4 mg/kg or 8 mg/kg) plus methotrexate experienced a significant inhibition in the progression of structural joint damage, as measured by
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