FDAnews
www.fdanews.com/articles/81417-fda-approves-new-uses-of-abbott-s-humira

FDA APPROVES NEW USES OF ABBOTT'S HUMIRA

October 5, 2005

Abbott Laboratories has received regulatory approval to sell its arthritis drug Humira as a first-line treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and for patients with psoriatic arthritis. The FDA approvals allow Abbott to sell the blockbuster antibody treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, to a wider group of patients.

In psoriatic arthritis, Humira is approved for reducing the signs and symptoms of active arthritis as well as the dry, scaly skin associated with the disease. The drug will also now be used to treat moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis at an earlier stage, where it may help to prevent some of the crippling effects of joint destruction associated with the ailment.