title: Tocilizumab: a novel humanized anti-interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor antibody for the treatment of patients with non-RA systemic, inflammatory rheumatic diseases.
abstract: Tocilizumab is a highly effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Furthermore, a large amount of case study data reveals that tocilizumab can be an effective therapy for not only rheumatoid arthritis but also for other mostly rare inflammatory rheumatic diseases. By blocking the interleukin-6 pathway tocilizumab can be a useful therapeutic alternative when conventional treatment fails. It is successful in treating diseases such as the adult-onset Still's disease, amyloidosis, giant cell arteritis, multiple myeloma, polymyalgia rheumatica, relapsing polychondritis, remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema-syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and Takayasu arteritis. Studies underway are now recruiting patients to acquire further data on treating patients with non-rheumatic arthritis, inflammatory diseases. This review focuses on tocilizumab as a promising agent for treating rare and orphan diseases in rheumatology for which no satisfactory treatment is yet available.
authors: Schlosspark-Klinik, University Medicine Berlin, Internal Medicine II, Rheumatology, Berlin, Germany. rieke.alten@schlosspark-klinik.de
authors: Rieke
authors: R
authors: Alten
authors: Tazio
authors: T
authors: Maleitzke
mesh_terms: D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001167:Arteritis / Q000188:drug therapy; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000188:drug therapy; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; C502936:tocilizumab