Summary

The efficacy and safety of tocilizumab, an anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, was examined as a monotherapy in patients with active RA who had inadequate responses to MTX. In this Japanese study, RA patients previously treated with MTX received either tocilizumab 8 mg/kg every 4 weeks + a MTX placebo (tocilizumab group) or a tocilizumab placebo + MTX 8 mg/week (MTX group) for 24 weeks.