Tocilizumab for Aortitis in Giant Cell Arteritis
Part of Brain & nervous system, Heart & circulation, Immune system & allergy, Skin clinical trials.
This trial tests the drug tocilizumab (Actemra) to see if it helps reduce swelling in the aorta in people with giant cell arteritis (GCA) who are newly diagnosed or have had a flare. It may offer a targeted treatment for aortitis without using high-dose steroids.
Summary written for real people, not researchers, by Clin2.
Who can take part
- You are at least 18 years old.
- You have been diagnosed with giant cell arteritis (GCA) with active swelling of the aorta (aortitis) as seen on a scan like PET, CT, or MRI.
- You have not taken tocilizumab (Actemra) before and found it didn't work or you couldn't tolerate it.
- You have no active or recent cancer (within the last 5 years), no severe immune problems, and no serious kidney or liver issues.
- You are not pregnant or breastfeeding, and you use reliable birth control if you could become pregnant.
Quick eligibility check
Answer a few plain-language questions, based on this study's own requirements, to get a preliminary sense of fit.
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This study tests whether bosentan, a medicine usually used for blood pressure in the lungs, can help control inflammation and symptoms in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). The goal is to see if it can reduce the need for steroids and improve quality of life.
This trial tests whether the drug upadacitinib can help people with giant cell arteritis (GCA) that affects the large blood vessels, such as the aorta. It is for those who have not responded to, cannot tolerate, or cannot use another treatment called tocilizumab.
This trial tests if a shorter course of the steroid prednisone, combined with tocilizumab, works as well as a longer course for giant cell arteritis. You must already be starting tocilizumab and taking at least 20 mg of prednisone daily.
This study is for people with giant cell arteritis (GCA), a condition where blood vessels become inflamed. It tests a drug called rituximab to see if it can help by targeting special immune cells (B cells). The study uses scans to look at inflammation in the large blood vessels. You must have active GCA in the large vessels (shown by a scan in the last 4 weeks), be over 50, and start treatment with steroids alone (no other immune-suppressing drugs yet). You cannot have been on steroids for more than 4 weeks before joining.
This study compares stopping tocilizumab (Actemra) completely versus reducing the dose in people whose giant cell arteritis has been well controlled for at least a year. The goal is to find out which approach keeps the disease in remission while reducing medication side effects.
This study tracks patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA, a blood vessel inflammation affecting older adults) who are in remission and tapering their steroid medications. Researchers will monitor disease activity through blood tests and patient questionnaires to understand if their condition stays stable as they reduce treatment.
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