First FDA Approved Medicine for Thyroid Eye Bulging & Pain

Newswise — Teprotumumab, the first FDA-approved medicine for thyroid eye disease, provides significant improvement in eye bulging, regardless of patient gender, age or smoking status, according to a study accepted for presentation at ENDO 2020, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, and publication in a special supplemental section of the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
 

Though it is a rare condition, thyroid eye disease is devastating to those who have it, affecting their relationships with family, friends and co-workers. Until recently, no medicine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of thyroid eye disease. Teprotumumab was approved by the FDA in January 2020.

“Teprotumumab decreases inflammation in the eye and the build-up of tissues behind the eye that produce the long-term symptoms that reduce quality of life for patients with thyroid eye disease,” said lead researcher George J. Kahaly, M.D., Ph.D., of Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center in Mainz, Germany. “It offers thyroid eye disease patients new hope.”

The researchers analyzed data from two 24-week studies, with a total of 171 patients with thyroid eye disease. Prior analyses of these studies showed 77.4% of patients had a reduction in eye bulging, compared with 14.9% of those receiving a placebo, after 24 weeks of therapy. The researchers performed the new analysis to see whether patients’ gender, smoking status and age influenced the drug’s response rate.

 

Read the full press release on Newswise.

 

 

 

 

Other Categories:

• pain management

• Thyroid