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Kevzara and Prednisone Tapering before and during Kevzara
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Jul 9 7:36pm | Replies (135)Comment receiving replies
Excellent questions!!
Kevzara is FDA approved for PMR but not GCA.
Actemra is FDA approved for GCA but not PMR.
I would also ask if people are being treated for PMR, GCA or both PMR and GCA.
Actemra and Kevzara should work the same for either PMR or GCA. Both medications are IL-6 receptor blockers. Maybe include people who take Actemra too.
Replies to "Excellent questions!! Kevzara is FDA approved for PMR but not GCA. Actemra is FDA approved for..."
I have had PMR and GCA since 03/21 My GCA is in remission ( 2 years blood tests )
PMR is very active. Has anyone switched from Actemra to Kevzara.
I do not take Prednisone since 09/21
@dadcue Great questions. I am taking Tyenne (tocilizumab) , generic for Actemra, for PMR, and have not had symptoms of or been diagnosed with GCA. So yes, using tocilizumab off-label, though several studies support it's safety and effectiveness. And grateful that I'm on my third day off prednisone - so far so good.
I am posting as a patient, but I am an NP and a retired professor of nursing,- so I'm aware that the process of FDA approval is difficult, and doing the long-term randomized trials for efficacy and safety takes a lot of money, some federal grant funds through universities in the early stages, but most directly from pharmaceutical companies. My field is pediatrics, and many common medications used in children are not FDA approved, as they are so old and inexpensive (developed before FDA processes) that nobody wants to pay for the studies needed to approve them. Now that Tyenne is a cheaper alternative to Actemra, it's possible that neither company wants to pay for the studies that would approve tocilizumab for PMR.
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Good question you have raised. I would like the answer too.