Treatment of PMR - an interesting article

[Exflex]

practicalpainmanagement.com...

I quote from the summary statement:

‘GCs are the mainstay of treatment, but the ongoing evaluation of biologic agents may provide alternative approaches to management in the near future’.

PS Have your medical dictionary to hand. 😊

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Thanks for this … Good in parts -but still repeating same old messages about timeframe and tapering regimes, but perhaps that to be expected as is 5 years old.

Patient info link at end is short simple explanation

[Exflex in reply to DorsetLady]

Sorry, I hadn’t noticed the date. Given its 5 years old I note from the discussions on here Biologics haven’t been prescribed as often as predicted as the ‘new treatment’. Presumably it’s cost.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Exflex]

No need to apologise sure many haven’t seen it and it’s still interesting.

It’s a US based study and “biologicals” seem to used more there for PMR and GCA -but certainly not in UK.

Cost may well come into it, but the original trial on Tocilizumab (TCZ) in UK was only focussed on GCA, not PMR.

Prof Dasgupta didn’t seem to be a supporter of TCZ in relation to PMR - and it doesn’t work for all in GCA.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Exflex]

In the context of PMR they haven't been through the clinical trials that are required for approval by drug authorities at various levels. At least - that is what NICE says. There have been small clinical studies in PMR in the last few years and they are very promising, just as they were for GCA. But not perfect.

My rheumy was involved with those studies - and says the pharmaceutical company is unlikely to undertake the clinical trials to be able to seek approval because the financial reward for the expenditure isn't there now TCZ is out of patent. Biosimilars aren't the same as generics - so saying it now means it will become cheaper to produce also won't help a lot especially as it hasn't been approved at all for PMR.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

Makes me so angry, one thing that might just help us sufferers, and we aren't allowed it. There is evidence now that it works for GCA and LVV isn't there? And it's prescribed in other countries eg USA

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

It's the same with Lodotra - really useful for morning symptoms in PMR but while they approved it for RA originally even that has been withdrawn.