WEDNESDAY, March 1, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the use of a widely used cancer drug to treat cases of rheumatoid arthritis that do not respond to other therapies, the drug's makers said.
Rituxan (rituximab) targets immune cells known as CD20-positive B-cells, which are believed to contribute to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a statement from the drug's manufacturers, Genentech Inc. and Biogen Idec Inc.
The FDA approval for RA patients comes more than eight years after the drug's initial approval for people with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to USA Today.
The drug's manufacturers said Rituxan should be used by people whose RA hasn't responded to a class of drugs called TNF blockers, which include Enbrel, Remicade, and Humira, USA Today reported.
RA occurs when the immune system attacks joint tissue, causing pain, inflammation, and permanent destruction of cartilage, tendons, and bones. More than 2 million Americans have the disease, the drug's manufacturers said.
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