Trial reportArthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)2025
Maintenance of Remission After Tocilizumab Withdrawal in Patients With Glucocorticoid-Dependent Polymyalgia Rheumatica.
Trial report in Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Treatment strategies in giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica: beyond glucocorticoids.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
25 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe SEMAPHORE trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) treatment in patients with glucocorticoid (GC)-dependent polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). TCZ reduced GC dose and disease activity at week 24. This study aimed to assess relapse rates after stopping TCZ treatment in patients achieving remission at week 24.
methodsIn the randomized study, 101 patients received intravenous TCZ (8 mg/kg) or placebo for 24 weeks. Of the 49 patients treated with TCZ, 33 achieved the primary outcome (PMR activity score <10 and GC dose reduction of ≤5 mg/day or ≥10 mg). All 33 patients except one stopped TCZ treatment at week 24 and completed a visit at week 32, with optional follow-up visits every eight weeks until week 48. Relapse was defined as the failure of the primary composite outcome during follow-up or the need for one or more TCZ infusion. Results were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves.
resultsAmong the 33 patients who received TCZ in remission at week 24, seven stopped follow-ups before week 48, and two of the remaining 26 patients (7.7%) sustained remission in the following six months. 24 (92.3%) of the total patients experienced a relapse. The median time to relapse was 15 weeks (interquartile range, 8-25 weeks).
conclusionAmong patients with GC-dependent PMR in remission after a six-month TCZ treatment, only a minority of the patients remained relapse-free after TCZ discontinuation. This study suggests that a six-month treatment course is not long enough to withdraw the TCZ. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal TCZ treatment duration and strategies for cessation to prevent relapses.
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