Genentech's Ocrevus, the only medicine capable of treating both relapsing and primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“The FDA’s approval of Ocrevus is the beginning of a new era for the MS community and represents a significant scientific advance with this first-in-class B cell targeted therapy,” Dr. Sandra Horning, chief medical officer and Genentech's head of global product development, said.
Horning noted that, before now, the FDA had not approved any treatment options for those patients who suffer from primary progressive MS.
“Until now, no FDA-approved treatment has been available to the primary progressive MS community, and some people with relapsing forms of MS continue to experience disease activity and disability progression despite available therapies,” Horning said. "We believe OCREVUS, given every six months, has the potential to change the disease course for people with MS, and we are committed to helping those who can benefit gain access to our medicine.”
Ocrevus is now available for U.S. patients. The company noted that most people who have MS are diagnosed with a relapsing form or primary progressive form.
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