AbbVie Breaks Ground with First Oral Treatment for Giant Cell Arteritis in EU

In a significant step forward for autoimmune disease treatment, AbbVie has announced that the European Commission has approved RINVOQ® (upadacitinib) for adults living with giant cell arteritis (GCA). This marks the first oral JAK inhibitor available in the EU for this condition, offering a new lifeline to patients often faced with painful symptoms and a fear of permanent vision loss. The approval spans not only the EU but also Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway and is based on robust data from the SELECT-GCA Phase 3 trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"GCA is a disease that hits hardest when patients are most vulnerable," said Dr Roopal Thakkar, AbbVie's Chief Scientific Officer. "This approval means we can offer a more convenient and potentially more effective option, especially for those balancing age-related risks and multiple health conditions." The SELECT-GCA trial showed that RINVOQ, combined with a shorter steroid taper, helped patients reach sustained remission while reducing long-term steroid use—offering real progress for a community long in need of better solutions.