Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has announced that on 1 July 2010 the European Commission approved a new indication for ORENCIA® (abatacept), in combination with methotrexate (MTX), for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adult patients who have responded inadequately to previous therapy with one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including MTX or a TNF-alpha inhibitor.

“This is a very welcome decision from the European Commission and one which will potentially have a positive impact on treatment outcomes for RA patients who have already experienced inadequate response to a first DMARD,” said Dr. Manuela Le Bars, European Medical Lead for Immunoscience, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “There is a growing body of evidence to show that earlier use of ORENCIA may have significant benefits for patients – for both short-term and long-term efficacy. This new indication means patients have the potential to benefit sooner from incremental improvements in function and quality of life provided by ORENCIA.”