The delay announced today to approval for Actemra is clearly a disappointment for Roche; the rheumatoid arthritis drug was forecast to be its second biggest growth driver over the next seven years, seen bringing in almost as much new revenue as cancer drug Avastin over that time.
The setback also robs 2008 of what would have been by far its biggest US approval, in terms of future sales. Whilst the FDA has already approved more new molecules this year than 2007’s paltry performance, notching up 20 at the last count, it has also knocked back or delayed several products which were carrying big expectations, Actemra being the most notable (see table below).
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