European Commission approves Roche’s MabThera (rituximab) for a rare autoimmune disease

Source: globenewswire.com

The European Commission has given approval to Roche’s drug MabThera (rituximab). This drug helps treat adults with moderate to severe pemphigus vulgaris (PV), a rare condition characterized by progressive painful blistering of the skin and/or mucous membranes. MabThera is the first biologic therapy approved by the European Commission for PV and the first major advancement in the treatment of the disease in more than 60 years. The drug previously received approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2018. MabThera is now approved to treat four autoimmune diseases in the US and Europe.