Re: tocilizumab

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Hope your day is good today.

I started on infusions at the end of Nov 07 every two weeks. At first I didnt

feel any benefit, but I had stopped everything apart from the pred to take it. I

then started 10mg of metx weekly aswell and I started to notice a big difference

in many of my symptoms taking the two together.

I havnt had any rash since December and I was getting it quite regularly on my

arms and thighs. My temp still feels higher later in the day, but nothing major

and certainly nothing too high. I was having to use a stick every so often with

the pain in my right hip and this is much better now and although it still aches

the pain is much less and less often.

I still have aches and pains all over, but the swelling in my fingers has been

much improved and I can honestly say I feel it is really working for me. I now

have the infusion every three weeks and I can tell I need it as the date

approaches - my chest starts hurting when its due.

I hope this helps everyone, obviously its only my viewpoint and I have only had

mtx and pred to compare it with, but I am pleased with the results.

God bless all my fellow stilligans.

Ruth xx (UK)

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Hope your day is good today.

I started on infusions at the end of Nov 07 every two weeks. At first I didnt

feel any benefit, but I had stopped everything apart from the pred to take it. I

then started 10mg of metx weekly aswell and I started to notice a big difference

in many of my symptoms taking the two together.

I havnt had any rash since December and I was getting it quite regularly on my

arms and thighs. My temp still feels higher later in the day, but nothing major

and certainly nothing too high. I was having to use a stick every so often with

the pain in my right hip and this is much better now and although it still aches

the pain is much less and less often.

I still have aches and pains all over, but the swelling in my fingers has been

much improved and I can honestly say I feel it is really working for me. I now

have the infusion every three weeks and I can tell I need it as the date

approaches - my chest starts hurting when its due.

I hope this helps everyone, obviously its only my viewpoint and I have only had

mtx and pred to compare it with, but I am pleased with the results.

God bless all my fellow stilligans.

Ruth xx (UK)

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Hope your day is good today.

I started on infusions at the end of Nov 07 every two weeks. At first I didnt

feel any benefit, but I had stopped everything apart from the pred to take it. I

then started 10mg of metx weekly aswell and I started to notice a big difference

in many of my symptoms taking the two together.

I havnt had any rash since December and I was getting it quite regularly on my

arms and thighs. My temp still feels higher later in the day, but nothing major

and certainly nothing too high. I was having to use a stick every so often with

the pain in my right hip and this is much better now and although it still aches

the pain is much less and less often.

I still have aches and pains all over, but the swelling in my fingers has been

much improved and I can honestly say I feel it is really working for me. I now

have the infusion every three weeks and I can tell I need it as the date

approaches - my chest starts hurting when its due.

I hope this helps everyone, obviously its only my viewpoint and I have only had

mtx and pred to compare it with, but I am pleased with the results.

God bless all my fellow stilligans.

Ruth xx (UK)

[Guest guest]

Hi Leonard - Tocilizumab (TCZ) has recently been approved in the UK

from what I understand. I was taking part in a clinical study here in

the USA to test the safety and efficacy of TCZ. Unfortunately for me,

after three monthly IV Infusions, I think I was part of the placebo

group and had to drop out of the study. Our Moderator, just

posted an article recently on TCZ. Message #120767. You can enter this

number on the RA Support website - you'll see where to put it. Hope

you find the information you are looking for..........Doreen

>

> Tocilizumab is anyone aware of this med?

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Leonard - Me again You emailed me that you were new to the

group. First of all - welcome. You will find a lot of info, support

and help here. I looked up that article that had posted and

thought I'd just copy/paste it here for you.......Doreen

Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Sep 29;58(10):2968-2980.

Interleukin-6 receptor inhibition with tocilizumab reduces disease

activity in rheumatoid arthritis with inadequate response to

disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: The tocilizumab in combination

with traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy study.

Genovese MC, McKay JD, Nasonov EL, Mysler EF, da Silva NA, Alecock E,

Woodworth T, Gomez-Reino JJ.

Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy and safety of the humanized

anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody tocilizumab combined with

conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in

patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS: A total of 1,220 patients were randomized (2:1 ratio) in the

phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter TOWARD

(Tocilizumab in Combination With Traditional DMARD Therapy) study.

Patients remained on stable doses of DMARDs and received tocilizumab 8

mg/kg or placebo (control group) every 4 weeks for 24 weeks.

RESULTS: At week 24, the proportion of patients achieving a response

according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria for 20%

improvement (ACR20) was significantly greater in the tocilizumab plus

DMARD group than in the control group (61% versus 25%; P < 0.0001).

Secondary end points including 50% or 70% improvement (ACR50/70), the

Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), DAS28 remission responses

(DAS28 <2.6), European League Against Rheumatism responses, and

systemic markers such as the C-reactive protein and hemoglobin levels

showed superiority of tocilizumab plus DMARDs over DMARDs alone.

Seventy-three percent of patients in the tocilizumab group had >/=1

adverse event (AE), compared with 61% of patients in the control

group. AEs leading to withdrawal from the study were infrequent (4% of

patients in the tocilizumab group and 2% of those in the control

group). Serious AEs occurred in 6.7% and 4.3% of patients in the

tocilizumab and control groups, respectively, and serious infections

occurred in 2.7% and 1.9%, respectively. Elevations in the alanine

aminotransferase level, from normal at baseline to >3-fold the upper

limit of normal, occurred in 4% of patients in the tocilizumab group

and 1% of those in the control group, and elevated total cholesterol

levels were observed in 23% and 6% of patients, respectively. Sixteen

patients started lipid-lowering therapy during the study. Grade 3

neutropenia occurred in 3.7% of patients receiving tocilizumab and

none of the patients in the control group, and no grade 4 neutropenia

was reported.

CONCLUSION: Tocilizumab combined with any of the DMARDs evaluated was

safe and effective in reducing articular and systemic symptoms in

patients with an inadequate response to these agents.

PMID: 18821691

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18821691

Not an MD

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