Tocilizumab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Tocilizumab is a humanized anti-human IL-6 receptor antibody that specifically inhibits the biological activity of IL-6 by competitively inhibiting the binding of IL-6 to the IL-6 receptor. Clinical trials have shown that tocilizumab 8 mg/kg administered by monthly infusion not only improves clinical signs and symptoms of refractory rheumatoid arthritis but also suppresses radiographic progression. In regard to safety, the most common adverse event was nonsevere infection, such as nasopharyngitis, although the incident rate of adverse events was slightly higher than that of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment. Studies have shown that there is no specific infection or prolongation of infection related to tocilizumab treatment. Tocilizumab is a promising therapeutic agent with statisfactory efficacy and safety for rheumatoid arthritis.

Keywords::

• anticytokine therapy
• biologics
• IL-6
• rheumatoid arthritis
• tocilizumab

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr Karsten Kissel for valuable discussions.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Toru Mima and Norihiro Nishimoto, as medical advisers, received a consulting fee from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, which manufactures tocilizumab. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.