Roche Holding AG recently announced positive results of its phase III trials involving the drug ocrelizumab, which is intended for a type of multiple sclerosis (MS) that is difficult to treat, according to a report from Reuters.

Ocrelizumab was part of the trial called Oratorio, which was the first study that showed the drug not only can treat the most common form of MS, the relapsing-remitting type, but also a different form known as primary progressive MS (PPMS).

Currently, there are 12 approved drugs in the United States used to treat the relapsing version of the disease, but Roche's ocrelizumab is the first for PPMS.

The ORATORIO trial demonstrated that ocrelizumab, as compared to placebo treatment, can significantly slow down the progression of disability in MS patients based on the measurement from the Expanded Disability Status Scale, and sustain such for 12 weeks.

The positive findings from the 732-participant trials only validated the theory that B cells are important in the study of the origin of the disease.

Data from the Phase III clinical trials will be reported at the 31^st congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), which will be held on Oct. 10 in Barcelona, Spain, FinChannel reported.

Roche is now planning to push for marketing ocrelizumab for the treatment of relapsing MS and PPMS. Data from clinical studies will be handed over to regulatory authorities by early next year.

Multiple sclerosis is a devastating condition that affects the nervous system, and ultimately slows down an individual's ability to speak and function normally.

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, there are around 2.3 million people worldwide who suffer from the dreaded disease.

Relapsing-remitting version of the disease, the common form, affects 85 percent of patients and the PPMS version affects about 15 percent of individuals.