Patterns of tocilizumab use in clinical practice of rheumatoid arthritis: a multi-center, non-interventional study in China
Wu Lijun, Dong Lingli, Li Yasong, Xiao Changhong, Shi Xiaofei, Zhang Yan, Li Qin, Zhao Yi, Zhou Bin, Fang Yongfei, Dai Lie, Ye Zhizhong, Zhou Yi, Wei Shitong, Liu Jianping, Li Juan, Shi Guixiu, Sun Lingyun, Zou Yaohong, Li Jingyang, Li Hongbin, Liu Xiangyuan, Zhang Fengchun
Abstract
ObjectiveTo study the patterns of tocilizumab (TCZ) use, its efficacy and safety in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in routine clinical practice.
MethodsA total of 407 patients with RA were enrolled from 23 centers and treated with TCZ within 8 weeks prior to the enrollment visit, and were followed for 6-month. The patterns of TCZ treatment at 6 months, the effectiveness and safety outcomes were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS version 9.4.
ResultsA total of 396 patients were included for analysis, in which 330 (83.3%) patients received TCZ combined with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs), and 16.7%(66/396) received TCZ monotherapy. At baseline, TCZ was initiated in 56.6%(224/396) and 9.6%(38/396) of patients after failure of DMARDs and other biological agents (bDMARDs) respectively. During the 6-month follow-up period, the mean frequency of TCZ administration was (3.7±1.6), the mean TCZ dosage was (7.4±1.2) mg/kg, and the mean interval between doses was (40±13) days. 120(25.8%) patients were on TCZ treatment at the end of the study. Improvements in disease activity, systemic symptoms and patient report outcomes were observed at the end of the study. 22.7%(90/396) patients experienced at least one treatment related adverse event, and 8 patients experienced at least one serious adverse event.
ConclusionThis study demonstrates that TCZ treatment is effective in patients with RA when being treated for 6 months with an acceptable safety profile. The duration of TCZ treatment needs to be extended.
Key words:
Arthritis, rheumatoid; Antirheumatic agents; Biological agents; Tocilizumab; Non-interventional study
Contributor Information
Wu Lijun
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi 830001, China
Dong Lingli
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Scienceand Technology, Wuhan 400030, China
Li Yasong
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310014, China
Xiao Changhong
Department of Rheumatology, Integrative Medicine Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510315, China
Shi Xiaofei
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China
Zhang Yan
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fourth Military Medical Univer-sity, Xi'an 710038, China
Li Qin
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, the First People's Hospital of Yun-nan Province, Kunming 650224, China
Zhao Yi
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
Zhou Bin
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Sichuan Provin-cial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
Fang Yongfei
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rheumatology and Immunology, Southwest Hospital, Chongqing 400038, China
Dai Lie
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510235, China
Ye Zhizhong
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shenzhen Futian Hospital, Guangdong 518033, China
Zhou Yi
Department of Rheumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
Wei Shitong
Department of Rheumatology, Yantaishan Hospital, Shangdong 264000, China
Liu Jianping
Department of Rheumatology and Hemato-logy, the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China
Li Juan
Department of Rheumatology, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Shi Guixiu
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Fujian 361003, China
Sun Lingyun
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Jingsu 210008, China
Zou Yaohong
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Wuxi People's Hospital, Jiangsu 214002, China,
Li Jingyang
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Zhuzhou Central Hospital, Hunan 412007, China
Li Hongbin
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010050, China
Liu Xiangyuan
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
Zhang Fengchun
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100032, China
