ACTA FAC MED NAISS 2021;38(3):247-256

Original article

Effectiveness of Tocilizumab after Switching from Intravenous to
Subcutaneous Formulation in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis:
A Single-Centre Experience

Sonja Stojanović^1,2, Bojana Stamenković^1,2, Jovan Nedović¹, Ivana Aleksić¹,
Jovana Cvetković¹

¹Institut for Treatment and Rehabilitation“Niška Banja“, Niška Banja, Serbia
²University of Niš, Faculty of Medicine, Niš, Serbia

SUMMARY

                 Nowadays, the appropriate control of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involves the absence of clinical disease activity, delaying joint destruction as long as possible and adequate quality of life of the affected. With currently available therapeutic modalities, this therapeutic goal can be achieved in a large number of patients.

                The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness of an IL-6 blocker (Tocilizumab) in patients with RA in everyday clinical practice. We also analyzed whether a change in the mode of drug administration (switching from intravenous to subcutaneous drug formulation) had an impact on drug effectiveness (using the DAS 28 SE and CDAI indexes) and quality of life of patients with RA (HAQ, Beck Depression Inventory, FACIT F score and SF 36 questionnaire). The study included 53 subjects diagnosed with RA, treated with Tocilizumab.

After a six-month use of subcutaneous Tocilizumab, we concluded that the method of drug administration did not have an impact on its effectiveness and on all the examined parameters of quality of life assessment.

Key words: Charlson Comorbidity Index, criterion validity, reliability, community-dwelling older adults, Iran