FDA approves injectable version of Ocrevus, a multiple sclerosis drug from Roche

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday for an injectable version of its successful drug Ocrevus for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. This will shorten the treatment time for patients and maintain a potential competitive advantage.

The approval was based on the results of a late-stage study, OCARINA II, in which the company was able to demonstrate that administering Ocrevus as a 10-minute injection under the skin works just as well as the previous approach, an hour-long intravenous infusion.

David Jones, chief medical officer of Roche subsidiary Genentech, told STAT that the injectable drug should be available in October. The announcement means multiple sclerosis patients can receive treatment in a neurologist's office and no longer have to travel to specialized infusion centers. The approval could also help Roche compete against competing multiple sclerosis products from Novartis and TG Therapeutics.