Conditions: Giant Cell Arteritis
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 251
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab in participants with GCA. The study will consist of 2 parts: a 52-week double-blind treatment period (Part 1) followed by a 104-week open label long-term follow-up period (Part 2). In Part 1 of the study eligible participants will be randomized to receive either tocilizumab every week (qw) or every 2 weeks (q2w) or placebo for 52 weeks, with tapering oral daily doses of prednisone. After Week 52, participants in remission will stop study treatment and enter long-term follow-up, whereas participants with disease activity or flares will receive open-label tocilizumab or other treatment at the discretion of the investigator for a maximum period of 104 weeks.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: Participants will receive tocilizumab at a dose of 162 milligrams (mg) as subcutaneous (SC) injection qw up to 52 weeks along with prednisone and/or prednisone placebo according to the protocol-defined schedule. Participants will receive prednisone tapering oral daily doses during the first 26 weeks and prednisone placebo from Week 26 up to Week 52. arm 2: Participants will receive tocilizumab at a dose of 162 mg as SC injection q2w (and tocilizumab placebo q2w starting from Week 2) up to 52 weeks along with prednisone and/or prednisone placebo according to the protocol-defined schedule. Participants will receive prednisone tapering oral daily doses during the first 26 weeks and prednisone placebo from Week 26 up to Week 52. arm 3: Participants will receive tocilizumab placebo as SC injection qw up to 52 weeks along with prednisone and/or prednisone placebo according to the protocol-defined schedule. Participants will receive prednisone tapering oral daily doses during the first 26 weeks and prednisone placebo from Week 26 up to Week 52. arm 4: Participants will receive tocilizumab placebo as SC injection qw up to 52 weeks along with prednisone and/or prednisone placebo according to a protocol-defined schedule. Participants will receive prednisone tapering oral daily doses for 52 weeks. arm 5: Participants without sustained remission at Week 52 will receive open-label tocilizumab at a dose of 162 mg as SC injection qw and/or corticosteroids and/or methotrexate at the discretion of the investigator for a maximum of 104 weeks.

Interventions: intervention 1: Tocilizumab intervention 2: Prednisone intervention 3: Tocilizumab Placebo intervention 4: Prednisone Placebo intervention 5: Corticosteroids intervention 6: Methotrexate
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Tocilizumab will be administered at a dose of 162 mg as SC injection qw or q2w for 52 weeks in Part 1 of the study and at a dose 162 mg as SC injection qw for 104 week at the discretion of the investigator in Part 2 of the study. intervention 2: Prednisone will be administered at tapering oral doses as tablets daily for 26 or 52 weeks according to the protocol-defined schedule in Part 1 of the study. Prednisone will also be administered as escape therapy to treat disease flares in an open-label manner during Part 1 at a dose and duration selected by the investigator. intervention 3: Tocilizumab placebo will be administered as SC injection qw or q2w for 52 weeks in Part 1 of the study. intervention 4: Prednisone placebo will be administered as tablets orally daily according to the protocol-defined schedule (from Week 26 to Week 52) in Part 1 of the study. intervention 5: Participants without sustained remission at Week 52 will receive corticosteroids at a dose and schedule at the discretion of the investigator for a maximum of 104 weeks. intervention 6: Participants without sustained remission at Week 52 will receive methotrexate at a dose and schedule at the discretion of the investigator for a maximum of 104 weeks.

Protocol document: