MabThera wins European approval for RA, lymphoma

The European Commission has given the green light to Roche to start marketing MabThera to patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis, a key step in clearing the way to blockbuster status in a disease category that includes 21 million patients worldwide. The Europeans also approved MabThera for some forms of lymphoma. The FDA gave MabThera--Rituxan--its approval for RA earlier this year. MabThera works by targeting B cells that play a role in the disease process. Roche believes the therapy has great potential for RA patients who do not respond to other drugs.

- here's the Business Day report on MabThera