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Rheumatoid arthritis is a leading musculoskeletal cause of disability in Western society. Therapeutic options have expanded rapidly with the advent of biological agents as treatment options. One of these, tocilizumab, targets the interleukin-6 receptor and has been approved since the late 2000s in many jurisdictions. This approval was based on 6-12 month trials. It is now appropriate to look at longer-term studies and what new insights they have provided into this agent. Data are based largely on observational studies with their well-known limitations as well as some further randomized trials and provide a number of important observations regarding both efficacy and safety. In conclusion, the longer-term data suggest tocilizumab efficacy increases over time for both signs and symptoms and radiographic change. It is also corticosteroid sparing. The safety data are consistent with the shorter-term trials and are largely reassuring but some questions still remain over cardiovascular safety and cancer risk.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	cohort, database, long term, rheumatoid, tocilizumab, trials
Research Division:	Medical and Health Sciences
Research Group:	Clinical Sciences
Research Field:	Rheumatology and Arthritis
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical Health (Organs, Diseases and Abnormal Conditions)
Objective Field:	Skeletal System and Disorders (incl. Arthritis)
UTAS Author:	Jones, G (Professor Graeme Jones)
UTAS Author:	Panova, E (Mrs Elena Panova)
ID Code:	130370
Year Published:	2018
Deposited By:	Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Deposited On:	2019-01-23
Last Modified:	2019-02-14
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