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PMR: Are there treatment alternatives to Prednisone?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Jan 11 7:08am | Replies (175)Comment receiving replies
Thank you so much for that information dadcue! I will definitely look into those medications and pass the information on to my family member (brother).
Replies to "Thank you so much for that information dadcue! I will definitely look into those medications and..."
My rheumatologist says he considers Actemra and Kavzara very similar and expects very similar results if they are used for treatment. Both disrupt the IL-6 immune pathway.
I am using Acterma to taper off Prednisone, and so far have tapered from 60 mg/day to 20 mg/day without relapse over a period of about 5 weeks.
Actemra is not officially FDA approved for PMR, but has been approved for GCA. Kevzara had been approved for PMR.
By the way, both of the corporate makers of these drugs have subsidy programs that can make them virtually free if you have commercial medical insurance.
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Actemra is not FDA approved for the treatment of only PMR. Actemra was FDA approved about 5 years ago for the treatment of GCA.
PMR is known to be "associated" with GCA. I have refractory PMR only and I have never been diagnosed with GCA.
Since PMR is closely linked to GCA, my rheumatologist submitted a special request in order to get Actemra authorized for me. He felt that Actemra "should work" for me but didn't make any promises.
My rheumatologist said I was too young to take prednisone for the rest of my life. He also stated on the authorization request that no other suitable alternative existed for me.
My rheumatologist now says Kevzara might be another alternative for me in the future. Alternatives to long term prednisone are a recent advance in the treatment of PMR and GCA.