Tocilizumab: a new therapy for large vessel vasculitis

Large vessel vasculitis represents mainly two main diseases: giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis. Recent advancements in the treatment for different rheumatic diseases refractory to disease-modifying antirheumatic agents with biologic agents have resulted in remarkable efficacy and tolerability. However, treatments for large vessel vasculitis (LVV) with tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors have yielded conflicting results. Recently, very promising results have been reported in patients treated with tocilizumab. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current treatment strategies of LVV and the recent evidence on the use of tocilizumab in LVV.