KEVZARA® (sarilumab)

[winfong]

Anybody have any experience with Kevzara for LVV/GCA/PMR? My rheumy is switching me to that because Actemra 1) doesn't interact well with my recently-diagnose diverticulitis and 2) has been approved for Covid (and is, thus, harder to get).

It sounds like Kevzara is mostly for RA. Could find very little on it for LVV/GCA/PMR, except for maybe ongoing drug trials. Anybody know anything more?

Any other biologics out there to consider? Thanks!

[piglette]

I believe Phase III trials were started on Kevzara for PMR, but I think they were suspended last year due to Covid. It is obviously thought that it might help PMR though.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I think someone mentioned it the other day - it is also an IL-6 antagonist so theoretically would also work in GCA and a clinical trial was started - and suspended but I can't find out why, I assume Covid, it messed up a lot of research including in PMR. Another IL-6 antagonist was also being trialed until the sponsor pulled out (don't know if that was the drug company or the fundholder).

dovepress.com/biologic-ther...

has a section on tocilizumab - and the 2 potential next options. Biologics do differ subtly and sometimes one works for someone when others don't. I'm fairly sure that sarilumab was used in a pilot trial in Dublin and seemed to work.

It'll be a case of seeking permission for off-label funding - but it sounds as if he has good grounds. TCZ was also used for RA first so a lot of the info about it relates more to RA patients too.

[Amkoffee]

I've taken it all and had no relief of pain. Methotrexate leflutamide Enbrel and Humira.