Biologics In Relapsing Polychondritis: a Literature Review

Fernando Kemta Lekpa and colleagues presented a literature review on the rare, severe, and often fatal connective tissue disease relapsing polychondritis. They evaluated the efficacy and safety of biologics in patients with active relapsing polychondritis. They found thirty papers with 61 patients, who were treated with TNF blockers, rituximab, ankinra, tocilizumab, and abatacept. Treatment showed slightly more responders than non-responders. As the experience is very limited, randomized controlled studies are needed to determine the role of biologics in relapsing polychondritis.
I am treating N=1 patient with relapsing polychondritis, with 5 mg infliximab per kg weight and 75-0-25 mg Cyclosporine A (dose hat to be reduced). The disease is stable at a 5-6 weeks interval of infusions.


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Biologics In Relapsing Polychondritis: a Literature Review.
Fernando Kemta Lekpa1, Virginia Byers Kraus2 and Xavier Chevalier1.
1Hopital Henri-Mondor, Creteil, France, 2Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Conclusion: The experience with biologics in relapsing polychondritis is very limited, and their real efficacy and indications need to be better defined. Randomized controlled trials, although difficult to realize because of the rarity of relapsing polychondritis, are needed to determine the real role of biologics in the treatment strategy of this orphan disease.