In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration is elevated, which may cause reduced cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity and increased exposure (peak plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-vs.-time curve (AUC)) to certain drugs. Tocilizumab may reverse IL-6-induced suppression of CYP3A4 activity. In this study, exposure to simvastatin was significantly reduced at 1 and 5 weeks after tocilizumab infusion in 12 patients with RA. The mean effect ratio for simvastatin AUC(last) was 43% (90% confidence interval (CI), 34-55%) at 1 week after tocilizumab infusion (day 15) and 61% (90% CI, 47-78%) at 5 weeks after tocilizumab infusion, as compared with baseline (day 1); both ratios were significantly lower than the bioequivalence boundary (80-125%). Mean plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels normalized within 1 week after tocilizumab was initiated; the time course of tocilizumab's CRP-reducing effect paralleled that of simvastatin pharmacokinetics. The study findings suggest that caution should be exercised when starting tocilizumab in RA patients who are taking simvastatin.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is responsible for more disability of the lower extremities in the elderly than any other disease in the US. The pain associated with OA is the primary symptom leading to disability in these patients. Current ACR guidelines recommend consideration of acetaminophen for mild-to-moderate pain and conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or COX-2 specific inhibitors for moderate-to-severe OA symptoms. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of the COX-1 sparing, COX-2 specific inhibitor, celecoxib, with the conventional NSAID naproxen, and placebo, in the treatment of OA of the hip. In this multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 1061 patients with symptomatic OA of the hip were randomized to receive celecoxib at doses of 100 mg, 200 mg, or 400 mg/day; naproxen 1000 mg/day; or placebo, for 12 weeks. Patients were evaluated using standard measures of efficacy at baseline, 2 -4 days after discontinuing previous NSAID or analgesic therapy, and after 2, 6, and 12 weeks of treatment. All doses of celecoxib and naproxen significantly improved the symptoms of OA, at all time points compared with placebo. This sustained treatment effect of celecoxib was dose dependent. In terms of pain relief and improvement in functional capacity, celecoxib 200 mg/day and 400 mg/day were similarly efficacious and were comparable to naproxen. Both drugs were generally well tolerated. Celecoxib at a dose of 200 mg/day is as effective as a standard therapeutic dose of the conventional NSAID, naproxen, in reducing the pain associated with OA of the hip.
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