Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Treatment for giant cell arteritis with 8 weeks of prednisone in combination with tocilizumab: a single-arm, open-label, proof-of-concept study
- Two non-responders stopped tocilizumab and withdrew prematurely after a second relapse
Authors' conclusion
These results suggest that 12 months of tocilizumab in combination with 8 weeks of prednisone could induce and maintain remission in patients with giant cell arteritis.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals aged ≥50 years with new-onset or relapsing GCA with active disease, Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA, USA)mean age 73.7 years
- Participants
- 30 individuals
- Outcome
- Sustained prednisone-free remission
- Follow-up
- Week 52
Methodological detailsprospective, open-label, single-centre
- Prospective
- Open-label
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Patients in sustained prednisone-free remission at week 52
23 (77%) of 30
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Patients who relapsed
- seven (23%)
- Time to relapse, mean (SD)
- 15.8 weeks (SD 14.7)
Safety
Serious adverse events
- Participants with a serious AE
- four (13%)
- Related or probably related to prednisone exclusively
- one
- Related or probably related to tocilizumab exclusively
- two
- Related or probably related to prednisone, tocilizumab, or both
- one
GCA-related permanent vision loss
- No cases during the study
Withdrawal after second relapse
- Non-responders who stopped tocilizumab and withdrew prematurely
- Two
Original publication
Treatment for giant cell arteritis with 8 weeks of prednisone in combination with tocilizumab: a single-arm, open-label, proof-of-concept study. Lancet Rheumatol. Published 2 November 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →