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薬理と治療
- Author: 植木幸孝1
Abstract
Objective The objective of this study is to assess the usefulness, safety, and user-friendliness of tocilizumab(TCZ)formulation with an autoinjector(AI)(TCZ AI)and to compare with those of TCZ pre-filled syringe formulation(TCZ PFS)in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Methods Fifty one patients with RA were subcutaneously administered TCZ at a dose of 162 mg every 2 weeks and examined the efficacy and safety of TCZ. Fifty patients who had been administered TCZ PFS by self-injection switched to self-injecting TCZ AI at Week 12 and 1 patient used TCZ AI without self-injection of PFS. The satisfaction and user-friendliness of the two injection types were surveyed in those patients and related healthcare professionals by using respective questionnaires. Results There were not observed any differences in the efficacy(ACR20, ACR50 and ACR70, DAS28-ESR)and safety(Adverse Event and Injection Site Reaction)between TCZ PFS and TCZ AI formulations. Patients with RA preferred TCZ AI formulation to TCZ PFS formulation in any questions for the satisfaction and user-friendliness in the questionnaires. The healthcare professionals answered that the user-friendliness and satisfaction of TCZ AI were better than or almost equal to those of TCZ PFS. Conclusion Present study demonstrates that TCZ AI formulation rather than TCZ PFS would be preferred by both patients with RA and health-care professionals with high satisfaction in usability, and suggests that TCZ AI formulation would be a useful option in the treatment of RA.
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