Kevzara - alternative to Prednisolone

[Dottidevonian49]

Hi All - keen to find out more about the new drug KEVZARA (Sarilumab) as an alternative to Pred.....has anyone been prescribed it, and how did you get on?

Look forward to hearing from you - thanks!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It isn't entirely new, just new to PMR. There are a few people in the USA who are on it but it isn't approved by NICE for use in the UK and the word is so far that it is very unlikely to be.

It does the same as tocilizumab but in a slightly different way. It will probably not be an entire replacement for pred since there are probably at least 3 different mechanisms for the production of inflammation and Kevzara/sarilumab will only work on one of them so if your PMR involves the others, they are able to keep making inflammation and you continue to require some pred, although quite a bit less.

[Dottidevonian49 in reply to PMRpro]

Many thanks for this 👍

[1951grumpa]

I’m in the USA and started KEVZARA a short time ago, mid December. After a month I started a 1mg/week reduction. Haven’t noticed any issues “Yet” at 3mg I’m to have bloodwork and a morning cortisol test. It is very expensive but fortunately for me my insurance pays all but $100. I’ve read others are not so. I can’t wrap my mind around the drug approval thing. Here KEVZARA is approved for PMR and Actemara for GCA.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 1951grumpa]

"Here KEVZARA is approved for PMR and Actemara for GCA."

In accordance with the clinical trial evidence - but approval of a medication by the drug monitoring bodies and the fundholders approving funding for its use are two different things. You have an insurance that pays for most of it - other insurers might not so you might have to pay a lot more. And that is parallel to state fundholders who require a cost-benefit justification before they will reimburse it.

[msdale]

Hi. I am about to start it this coming week and I will post on this forum how it goes, what my experience is.