Tocilizumab Effective for Noninfectious Uveitis Treatment

This article is part of MPR’s coverage of the American Academy of Ophthalmology 2019 Meeting, taking place in San Francisco, CA. Our staff will report on medical research related to eye disorders, conducted by experts in the field. Check back regularly for more news from AAO 2019.

SAN FRANCISCO – Tocilizumab was found to be an effective treatment for noninfectious uveitis, based on data from the STOP-Uveitis study presented at the 2019 American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting in San Francisco, CA.

The study included 37 patients with noninfectious uveitis and evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of tocilizumab, an interleukin-6 receptor antagonist, administered by intravenous (IV) infusion. Patients were randomized to receive tocilizumab 4mg/kg IV or 8mg/kg IV every 4 weeks for 6 months. To evaluate efficacy, the study authors used a composite end point scoring system which consisted of multiple parameters including visual acuity, vitreous haze, central retinal thickness, posterior segment inflammation, and steroid dose taper.

Regarding composite end point outcomes, results showed that 83.8% of the 37 eyes included for treatment showed a positive response (defined as improvement in at least 1 parameter and worsening in none); 8.1% had treatment failure (defined as worsening of any parameter), while another 8.1% remained stable (defined as neither improvement nor worsening of any parameters). The study authors reported that outcomes were observed to be similar between the 2 dose groups (P<.05).

Previously published results showed that the treatment was well-tolerated in patients with noninfectious uveitis.

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