Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are recruiting 40 patients for a multi-center pilot study to determine if the drug tocilizumab (Actemra) is effective in the treatment of patients with refractory adult polymyositis (PM) or dermatomyositis (DM).
Tocilizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R). Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a cytokine (a small protein important in cell signaling) that plays an important role in immune response and is implicated in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases. It is approved by the FDA for treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA).
Inclusion criteria include adults with refractory dermatomyositis, polymyositis, or juvenile dermatomyositis. Participants will be randomly assigned to the treatment group or a placebo group. Intravenous administration of drug or placebo will be given every four weeks for six doses.
Study sites include six research centers in the US.
For more information about this trial, please contact Diane Koontz 412-383-8674.
Find more information about this trial here.
More information on other clinical trials for myositis can be found here.