Innovent Biologics has recently received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for their juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treatment, SULINNO. It has been approved to treat JIA, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis.

About Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)

By breaking down the name, we can best understand JIA. Juvenile means young, idiopathic means of unknown origin, and arthritis means inflammation within the joints. While we do not know the cause of JIA, we do know that it is an autoimmune condition, meaning that the body mistakenly fights its own tissue. There are multiple forms of this condition, including systemic, undifferentiated, and more. Regardless of type, symptoms include pain, swelling, stiffness, and a limited range of motion in the joints, swollen lymph nodes, skin rash, and fever. Possible complications include uveitis and growth issues. To treat these symptoms, doctors may prescribe NSAIDs, corticosteroids, biologic agents, and DMARDs. There is currently no cure.

Approval in China

SULINNO is a recombinant human anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody that was approved to treat JIA. This comes after China’s NMPA approved of this drug as a treatment for psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis back in September.

As JIA can lead to physical issues, a decrease in social participation, decreased quality of life, and other burdens, but this approval is a step in the right direction. It can allow children to receive early treatment that will alleviate their symptoms and improve quality of life.

Looking Forward

SULINNO is currently approved for the treatment of seventeen diseases throughout the world, such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and uveitis. The safety, efficacy, and tolerability of this drug has been recognized by a number of countries, and it is widely used throughout North America and Europe.

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