Roche's rheumatoid arthritis drug wins EU approval for extended use

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG said on Monday the European Union has approved the use of its drug RoActemra in patients with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis. Roche said the European Commission has backed RoActemra as a treatment for patients with severe, active and progressive rheumatoid arthritis who have previously not been treated with methotrexate. About 40 million people worldwide are affected by rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that causes joints to become chronically inflamed and swollen. RoActemra is already approved as a treatment for moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis in patients who have failed to respond adequately or are intolerant to previous therapy. (Reporting by Caroline Copley; Editing by Matt Driskill)