Growth benefits for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis thanks to tocilizumab – results from clinical trials

The drug tocilizumab can have significant growth benefits for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) according to a clinical trial published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
JIA is the most common chronic rheumatic disease that affects children. About 12,000 children in the UK have JIA, and it persists into adulthood in up to one-third of cases.
Experts looked at the impact of tocilizumab treatment on growth in 112 children with JIA in sites in the UK, US, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Australia. The children were aged between two and 17 years and were given tocilizumab for 12-weeks. Their results were compared against a group of 83 patients who did not receive treatment.
Those enrolled in the study had stunted growth at baseline, but during treatment with tocilizumab they experienced above-normal growth rates of 6.6cm a year.
And they had increases in levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, a hormone that plays an important role in childhood growth, further underlining the drug’s positive impact on physical development.
“Our findings indicate that during treatment with tocilizumab, patients with systemic JIA experience significant catch-up growth, normalisation of IGF-1 levels and bone balance improvement favouring bone formation,” the researchers conclude.

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Image credit: Sascha Kohlmann