Giant Cell Arteritis Clinical Trials 2023

What Are Giant Cell Arteritis Clinical Trials?

Giant cell arteritis is a group of diseases that results in the inflammation of blood vessels. The condition mostly affects arteries in the head and scalp, especially those found over the temples (known as temporal arteritis. Giant cell arteritis mostly occurs in elderly adults and can result in a wide range of neurologic, ophthalmologic, and systemic complications.

Other names of giant cell arteritis include granulomatous arteritis, Horton disease, and temporal arteritis. The disease most commonly affects older people over the age of 50, especially women. More giant cell arteritis clinical trials are needed to understand why the condition occurs.

Why Is Giant Cell Arteritis Being Studied Through Clinical Trials?

It is unclear what causes giant cell arteritis. Scientists classify giant cell arteritis as an autoimmune condition because the body starts attacking healthy tissues and arteries. The subject of most giant cell arteritis clinical trials is the investigation of hereditary genes to see if children are likely to develop the condition.

Various genetic variations have been found in patients with giant cell arteritis, and they play a role in how their immune system will respond to the disease.

What Are The Types of Treatments Available For Giant Cell Arteritis?

Prompt treatment with corticosteroid medications must start after the discovery of giant cell arteritis to prevent loss of vision and relieve symptoms. Patients who start treatment will feel better within 2 to 4 weeks of starting their treatment. Doctors may prescribe prednisone to most patients. Others may be administered methylprednisolone intravenously if they show visual or cerebral symptoms.

Steroid therapy may also be started at higher doses, usually tapering off to reduce the recurrence of giant cell arteritis. Most of these medications can weaken or target the immune system and doctors are not sure when they may become toxic. This is why more giant cell arteritis clinical trials are being conducted to investigate alternative treatments with novel medications such as azathioprine, dapsone, and methotrexate. Low dose aspirin can also reduce the risk of ischemia, but requires additional studies.

What Are Some Recent Breakthrough Clinical Trials For Giant Cell Arteritis?

2017: Trial of Tocilizumab in Giant Cell Arteritis - This clinical trial of 251 subjects that had Horton disease was conducted over the course of 1 year. Patients were randomized in various groups that received medications, including 162 g per week of Tocilizumab. The medication was combined with prednisone taper or placebo. It was found that patients who took Tocilizumab and prednisone taper had superior results when it came to sustained glucocorticoid free remission.

2021: Treatment Failure in Giant Cell Arteritis - This clinical trial investigated the predictors of treatment failure in GCA patients receiving Tocilizumab with glucocorticoids vs patients who only received glucocorticoids. It was found that the strongest risk factor for treatment failure in GCA was treated with prednisone alone. Follow up studies will help assess the safety profile of Tocilizumab.