Roche Pharmaceuticals' Roche Shishu has been approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting and primary progressive multiple sclerosis in China.

Roche Pharmaceuticals (RHHBY.US) announced today that its innovative drug Ocrevus (Ocrelizumab injection) has officially been approved by the China National Medical Products Administration. The drug is administered intravenously every six months and is used to treat adult patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS, including clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting MS, and active secondary progressive MS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS). Chinese MS patients can now have access to a new and advanced treatment option. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Most MS patients develop the disease between the ages of 29-39, where their immune system attacks the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves), leading to inflammation and damage to the nerve cells' myelin sheath. Symptoms of MS include muscle weakness, fatigue, and vision loss. RMS is characterized by relapses and remissions, potentially leading to permanent disability, while PPMS results in continuous progression and worsening of symptoms affecting mobility, sensation, and cognitive function.