Use of immunosuppressants and biologics in giant cell arteritis: Recommendations of the French Study Group for Large Vessel Vasculitis (GEFA)

An updated revision of the 2016 recommendations from the French Study Group for Large Vessel Vasculitis (GEFA) was needed to better delineate the place and management of immunosuppressants or biologics in giant cell arteritis (GCA). A panel of 18 physicians, including internists and rheumatologists, constituted the task force of this project and drafted the recommendations. Twelve additional readers were asked to analyse and comment on the recommendations. Two face-to-face virtual meetings were held to discuss and validate the recommendations. Each member voted individually, and a>85% consensus was required to validate each recommendation. From the initial 6 questions, 26 recommendations were validated. The following main recommendations were validated. (1) Subcutaneous 162mg tocilizumab (TCZ) for at least 12months should be used first when glucocorticoid (GC)-sparing treatment is needed with the objective of discontinuing GCs within the subsequent 6months. (2) GCA patients who have experienced any of the following conditions must receive TCZ at GCA diagnosis with 6months of GC therapy: major cardiovascular event, osteoporosis with fracture, psychiatric event with GC use, complicated diabetes mellitus, or any previous>6months of GC treatment. (3) In patients in whom GC discontinuation is not possible after 12months of treatment because of persistent disease activity or in patients in whom GC-related adverse events are unacceptable, TCZ (or alternatively methotrexate) may be proposed. These recommendations were constructed based on the results of the published literature and the experts’ experiences to standardise therapeutic practices in France. Further updates will likely be necessary following new publications.