EXTON – BioTrends has released the final report of LaunchTrendsZ, about a rheumatoid arthritis inhibitor drug.  The report comes from on-line survey responses from 75 rheumatologists and qualitative interviews with some survey respondents.

ACTEMRA. Actemra (tocilizumab), marketed by Roche-Genentech, is the first humanized IL-6 receptor inhibitor agent approved for moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis patients with an inadequate response to one or more TNF-alpha inhibitors.

The rheumatologists report successfully using Actemra with patients who failed one or more TNF-alpha inhibitors despite the need for more frequent blood monitoring of liver function, lipid profile, and neutrophil and platelet counts. Each of these side effect issues has had varying degrees of impact on physicians’ treatment patterns.

Actemra competes with Centocor Ortho Biotech’s Remicade and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Orencia.

Popularity: 1% [?]