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Tocilizumab reduces haze, increases visual acuity in noninfectious uveitis

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Muhammad Hassan

CHICAGO — Repeated intravenous injections of tocilizumab 4 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg in patients with noninfectious uveitis improved visual acuity and reduced vitreous haze at 6 months, according to a speaker here.

Muhammad Hassan, MD, said intravenous injections of both tocilizumab doses effectively reduced retinal edema in the STOP-Uveitis study.

“We have also demonstrated injections can also improve posterior segment inflammatory outcomes,” Hassan said at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.

The study included 37 patients with active noninfectious intermediate, posterior or panuveitis randomized 1:1 to receive either 4 mg/kg or 8 mg/kg intravenous tocilizumab injections. Researchers evaluated the mean change in best corrected visual acuity, central retinal thickness and vitreous haze at 6 months.

“The mean BCVA [in both groups combined] improved from 37.78 at baseline to 46 at month 6. This was statistically significant,” Hassan said.

At 6 months, both groups combined saw a statistically significant decrease in mean central retinal thickness, from 358.25 µm to 274.37 µm, Hassan said.

Additionally, 77.4% of patients in both groups combined experienced a one-step decrease of vitreous haze at 6 months, and 32.2% of patients experienced a two-step decrease, he said.

Thirty eyes in the study cohort were eligible to be analyzed with fluorescein angiography at baseline and 6 months. Both dosing groups showed a statistically significant reduction in fluorescein angiography inflammatory scores from baseline to 6 months, but the difference in mean reduction between the two groups was not statistically significant, he said. – by Robert Linnehan

Reference:

Hassan M. Posterior segment inflammatory outcomes (month 6) of the STOP-Uveitis study: Evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of tocilizumab in patients with noninfectious uveitis. Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting; Oct. 27-30, 2018; Chicago.

Disclosure: Hassan reports no relevant financial disclosures.

Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to change the word “intravitreal” to “intravenous.”