What question did this study set out to answer?

Assess the efficacy of tocilizumab as a glucocorticoid-sparing therapy and determine the most effective strategy for tocilizumab withdrawal in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.

August 21, 2023Lara D. VeekenOpen Access

Efficacy and management of tocilizumab in polymyalgia rheumatica: results of a multicentre retrospective observational study

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Authors

MAMorgane AssarafInserm BCBaptiste ChevetInserm DWDaniel WendlingCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon

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Implication

Retrospective study shows tocilizumab enables glucocorticoid tapering in polymyalgia rheumatica, indicating dose reduction or spacing aids withdrawal.

Key Points

Assess the efficacy of tocilizumab as a glucocorticoid-sparing therapy and determine the most effective strategy for tocilizumab withdrawal in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.
Multicentre retrospective observational study across French tertiary healthcare departments evaluating patients with polymyalgia rheumatica treated with off-label tocilizumab between 2015 and 2022 (N=53).
Evaluated the primary endpoint of glucocorticoid tapering to ≤5 mg/day at 6 months, alongside secondary endpoints of complete glucocorticoid cessation and tocilizumab withdrawal success.
Glucocorticoid doses were reduced to ≤5 mg/day in 77% of patients (95% CI 36–89) at 6 months and 97% at 12 months, with complete glucocorticoid discontinuation achieved in 22.5% (95% CI 12.7–37.8) and 58.3% (95% CI 43.2–74.1) at 6 and 12 months, respectively.
Tocilizumab infusion spacing (87% success) and dose reduction (79% success) demonstrated significantly higher success rates than abrupt discontinuation (52% success; P=0.012 and P=0.039, respectively).

Cite This Study

Assaraf et al. (2023) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6ab5f5e2bb1833fef24c48b0 https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/kead426

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Implication

Retrospective study shows tocilizumab enables glucocorticoid tapering in polymyalgia rheumatica, indicating dose reduction or spacing aids withdrawal.

Efficacy and management of tocilizumab in polymyalgia rheumatica: results of a multicentre retrospective observational study

Discussion

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Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Efficacy and management of tocilizumab in polymyalgia rheumatica: results of a multicentre retrospective observational study

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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