At what point in GCA management do you typically introduce tocilizumab?  

I typically introduce tocilizumab as first line therapy in combination with prednisone in patients who do not have a contraindication. The GIACTA trial demonstrated the superiority of TCZ+prednisone x 6 mos over prednisone alone x 6 or 12 months with numerically fewer serious adverse events. Given t...

It is reasonable to discuss the use of tocilizumab with patients with giant cell arteritis at the time therapy is being initiated. The data from the two trials leading to drug approval, the initial Swiss study and the later, much larger, GiACTA study, both support the use of this agent for GCA at th...