Status:

COMPLETED

Tocilizumab for Patients With Giant Cell Arteritis

Lead Sponsor:

Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern

Collaborating Sponsors:

University of Bern

Roche Pharma AG

Conditions:

Giant Cell Arteritis

Eligibility:

All Genders

50+ years

Phase:

PHASE2

Brief Summary

Giant-cell arteritis (GCA) is an immune-mediated disease that mostly affects people older than 50 years of age. Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment dramatically alters the symptoms and course of GCA, reduci...

Detailed Description

Background Giant-cell arteritis (GCA) is an immune-mediated disease that mostly affects people older than 50 years of age. Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment dramatically alters the symptoms and course of...

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

  • Inclusion Criteria:
  • Patients with newly onset or relapsed GCA
  • \> 50 years of age
  • satisfying ACR criteria
  • elevated sedimentation rate above 40 mm
  • CRP \> 20 mg/L
  • Patients with histologically proven GCA or with large vessel vasculitis assessed by MRI
  • Exclusion Criteria
  • Rheumatic diseases (except for CPPD/chondrocalcinosis) other than GCA/Takayasu disease or polymyalgia rheumatica (i.e., RA, autoimmune connectivitides, other systemic vasculitides, a.o.)
  • Evidence of significant and/or uncontrolled concomitant disease
  • Diagnosis of GCA \> 4 weeks before screening visit and beginning of GC treatment \> 4 weeks before screening (only valid for new onset GCA), or when a patient received treatment with tocilizumab or with other biological agents (such as TNFα-blockers) within 3 months before screening
  • Any condition or general state of health which, in the Investigator's opinion, would preclude participation in the study
  • Actual or recent myocardial infarction (within the last 3 months before screening visit)
  • Significant cardiac disease (NYHA Class III and IV), known severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (FEV1 \< 50% predicted or Functional dyspnoea \> Grade 3 on the MRC Dyspnoea Scale) or other significant pulmonary disease
  • Uncontrolled disease (such as asthma, psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease) where flares are commonly treated with oral or injectable corticosteroids
  • Known active infection of any kind, or any major episode of infection requiring hospitalization or treatment with i.v. anti-infectives within 4 weeks of baseline or completion of oral anti-infectives within 2 weeks prior to baseline
  • History of deep space/tissue infection (e.g. fasciitis, abscess, osteomyelitis) within 52 weeks prior to baseline
  • Any surgical procedure, including bone/joint surgery within 8 weeks prior to baseline or planned within the duration of the study
  • History of serious recurrent or chronic infection (for screening for a chest infection a chest radiograph will be performed at screening if not performed within 12 weeks prior to screening)
  • Lack of peripheral venous access
  • Body weight \> 150 kg or BMI \> 35
  • Previous treatment with tocilizumab or any other biological agent
  • Treatment with any investigational agent within 28 days of screening or 5 half-lives of the investigational drug (whichever is the longer)
  • History of severe allergic or anaphylactic reaction to any biologic agent or known hypersensitivity to any component of tocilizumab (RoActemra)
  • Receipt of any vaccine within 28 days prior to baseline (a patient's vaccination record and need for immunization prior to receiving tocilizumab/placebo must be carefully investigated)
  • Positive tests for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Hepatitis B core antibody (HbcAb) or hepatitis C serology
  • Positive Quantiferon-TB® test for latent Tb without subsequent INH prophylaxis
  • Patients with active Tb which had to be treated for Tb within 2 years before the screening visit

Exclusion

    Key Trial Info

    Start Date :

    September 1 2011

    Trial Type :

    INTERVENTIONAL

    Allocation :

    ACTUAL

    End Date :

    September 1 2015

    Estimated Enrollment :

    30 Patients enrolled

    Trial Details

    Trial ID

    NCT01450137

    Start Date

    September 1 2011

    End Date

    September 1 2015

    Last Update

    February 12 2019

    Active Locations (1)

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    Page 1 of 1 (1 locations)

    1

    Department of Rheumatology, Clinical Immunology Allergology, University Hospital, Inselspital

    Bern, Switzerland, 3010