Health Canada Approves HUMIRA For Ulcerative Colitis - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - AbbVie (ABBV), a research-based biopharmaceutical company, spun off by Abbott Laboratories, Thursday reported Health Canada's approval of HUMIRA for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis or UC who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy including corticosteroids, azathioprine and/or 6-mercaptopurine or who are intolerant to such therapies. The efficacy of HUMIRA in patients who have lost response to or were intolerant to TNF blockers has not been established, according to the company.

With this eighth indication, HUMIRA is currently approved for the treatment of the two primary diseases that comprise inflammatory bowel disease or IBD: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Canadians prescribed HUMIRA for UC would have a chance to be enrolled in PROGRESS, the HUMIRA support program, which provides a wide range of services including insurance, injection, education and ongoing support.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease of the colon, marked by inflammation and ulceration of the colon mucosa, or innermost lining.

HUMIRA is also approved in Canada in adults for rheumatoid arthritis treatment, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, and psoriasis, as well as in children aged 4 to 17 years for the treatment of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis and in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease 13 to 17 of age, =40kg.