FDA approves Abbott's Humira for ulcerative colitis

Sept 28 (Reuters) - U.S health regulators on Friday approved Abbott Laboratories Inc's blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira for the treatment of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis in adults.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Humira to control the chronic inflammatory condition once immunosuppressant medicines, such as corticosteroids, have proved ineffective.

Humira, by far Abbott's biggest product with annual sales of about $8 billion and still growing, is already approved to treat a number of inflammatory diseases. In addition to rheumatoid arthritis, the medicine is approved for psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, plaque psoriasis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.