Kevzara and prednisone effectivness

Kevzara is similar to Actemra regarding how it works. Both of them block IL-6. There can be several different inflammatory substances, including IL-6, that contribute to PMR and GCA, and people vary in their mix of these substances. Actemra works completely for me, so my inflammation must be mostly caused by IL-6. It sounds like you have a bigger contribution from some of the other sources of inflammation.

@jeff97 yes, lucky me... but at least some relief. To bad there isn't an add-on to get the other stuff causing g the inflamation.

Try Tylenol for Arthritis as a supplement. Works for me with Kevzara

Like you, Kevzara is good but not perfect. I have good days and fair days with it.

There is a new, about to be approved, IL-17 blocker that the data from testing is on par with Kevzara for treating PMR.

“Cosentyx (secukinumab) has successfully completed Phase III testing for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) in the REPLENISH trial, meeting all primary and secondary endpoints.”

From what I understand (simply), Interlukens cross-talk, influence each other and work cooperatively. Maybe an IL-17 inhibitor will do the trick and make all days good.

I am going to talk with my Rheum. about it.

@stonewheel I wonder if you could take both at the same time, and what the consequences might be...

@ronludington that’s certainly crossed my mind.

@ronludington This website lists drug interactions with Cosentyx https://www.healthline.com/health/drugs/cosentyx-interactions.

It indicates an interaction with biologic immunomodulators like Actemra and Kevzara due to an increased risk of infection. I take Actemra, which works in a similar way to Kevzara, and I saw in my medical chart that Actemra is listed as a high risk drug due to the risk of infection, along with other problems. Kevzara has the same risks.

@jeff97 I guess it's one or the other then.

@stonewheel

The crosstalk and "upstream" and "downstream" reactions of various cytokines gets extremely complex. My understanding is very limited. My rheumatologist says it is all an educated guess for which biologic might work or won't work. All I know is that inflammation pathways are not isolated pathways but more like a network of pathways that are interconnected.

I asked about Cosentyx once. The answer I received was Cosentyx might work because inhibiting IL-17 also decreases IL-6 levels.
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Artificial intelligence blows me aways sometimes but I like how it "simplifies" things to some degree.

"The immune system operates via interconnected signaling cascades rather than isolated pathways. IL-17A normally acts as a powerful stimulant that prompts various cell types (such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and keratinocytes) to produce other inflammatory mediators, prominently including IL-6, TNF-α, and chemokines. When Cosentyx targets and neutralizes IL-17A, it effectively disrupts this downstream amplification loop. Multiple clinical studies published on PubMed have confirmed that patients treated with secukinumab show a significant reduction in systemic IL-6 levels, as well as other inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP)."
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As far a taking more than one biologic is concerned it is a matter of "too much immunosuppression." Even being on prednisone in combination with a biologic can cause this. The problem is that prednisone can't be stopped very easily so the biolgic needs to be stopped.

I will defer to artificial intelligence again:

Over-immunosuppression is a primary concern when combining multiple immunomodulatory therapies, as stacking treatments can significantly elevate the risk of serious infections. Your point regarding prednisone is also clinically spot-on: because long-term prednisone suppresses the body's natural cortisol production, stopping it abruptly can trigger a dangerous adrenal crisis."

@jeff97
Good find.
Yes, it has the same risk of infection as we were informed about before we started Actemra or Kevzara.
I guess the question is, woukd adding it in addition to, cause a double-risk of infection?
Maybe a half/dose of each.
For me, I think, a likeable property of Cosentix is that it comes in pill form.
I see experimental trials and the experimenting of combinations in the future.