Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease affecting more than 21 million people worldwide. Until just a few decades ago, people with rheumatoid arthritis had to resign themselves to a distressing loss of quality of life, with constant pain and an increasing loss of mobility as the disease progressed.

Roche’s commitment to understanding the causes and mechanisms of rheumatoid arthritis has contributed towards revolutionising treatment. Today, new biopharmaceutical therapies have made significant progress by effectively treating this disease and inhibiting joint damage and pain. The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still unknown, and as yet there is no cure, but our research continues and remission, where the disease goes into long-term hibernation, has become a realistic objective.

Roche’s scientists are acutely aware of the daily challenges faced by people with rheumatoid arthritis and the clinicians who care for them, and because of this we strive to discover and develop even better diagnostic tools and therapies. Increased understanding of rheumatoid arthritis and progress in biotechnology have revolutionised treatment over the last couple of decades. Traditionally, treatment was based on large-scale suppression of the immune system (immunosuppression) and the use of anti-inflammatory agents. In the 1990s, researchers acquired ever more knowledge about rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. At the same time, advances in gene technology provided medicine with a completely new class of substances, namely biopharmaceuticals.

The result was new treatments that act on the processes involved in the disease, making it possible to stop or at least slow its progression. Roche’s research led to the discovery of innovative new therapies that target the key drivers of inflammation. Roche continues to lead the way by developing biopharmaceutical treatments with different modes of actions that offer alternative options to physicians and people with the disease. The progress that has been made in treating rheumatoid arthritis in recent years lays the foundations for even more exciting developments in the future. In terms of treatment, biopharmaceuticals now provide direct access to the many different sites at which it might be possible to intervene in a malfunctioning immune system. Progress is being made at an ever increasing rate and a decisive turning point in treatment is now in sight.