Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory condition affecting adults over 50 — most commonly over 70 — causing aching and stiffness in the shoulders, neck, and hips, typically worst in the morning. It is closely related to giant cell arteritis and can occur together with it. Corticosteroids produce dramatic symptom relief within days, but many patients require long courses with associated side effects including osteoporosis and diabetes.
What's actually going on in research
Prednisone remains the standard treatment, and most patients are treated for one to two years or longer. Up to half of patients relapse during steroid tapering. Tocilizumab (IL-6 receptor inhibitor), already approved for giant cell arteritis, has shown benefit in PMR in trials and is being evaluated to allow faster steroid tapering. Other IL-6 pathway inhibitors and JAK inhibitors are also in trials aiming to reduce total steroid exposure and the associated risks of long-term corticosteroid use.
IL-6 inhibitor therapy
Tocilizumab and sarilumab are in trials for PMR to enable faster, safer corticosteroid tapering and to reduce relapse rates in patients who require prolonged steroid courses.
JAK inhibitors
Oral JAK inhibitors are being explored in PMR as steroid-sparing alternatives that could simplify long-term management and reduce the cumulative burden of corticosteroid side effects.
Relapse prediction
Studies are identifying clinical, imaging, and biomarker predictors of relapse during steroid taper, to guide individualized tapering schedules and pre-emptive biologic use.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically requires confirmed PMR diagnosis in adults over 50, active disease, and consideration of steroid-sparing need.
What types of trials are currently open
- IL-6 inhibitor trials — Testing tocilizumab and sarilumab to reduce relapse and steroid exposure in active PMR.
- JAK inhibitor trials — Evaluating oral JAK inhibitors as steroid-sparing agents in new-onset and relapsing PMR.
- Steroid tapering strategy trials — Comparing accelerated versus standard prednisone taper schedules with biologic support.
- Biomarker studies — Identifying blood and imaging markers that predict relapse risk to personalize therapy duration.
- Long-term outcome studies — Tracking cardiovascular, bone density, and metabolic outcomes of corticosteroid use in PMR patients.
Recently added Polymyalgia Rheumatica trials
Share your health data to improve giant cell arteritis monitoring
Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) is a vasculitis of medium- and large-sized arteries in older adults that may lead to serious vascular complications, including permanent vision loss and aortic aneurysm formation. Glucocorticoids are effective, but relapse during tapering is common and poses a major clinical challenge, potentially contributing to prolonged glucocorticoid exposure. Symptoms are often nonspecific and conventional inflammatory markers lack sufficient reliability, particularly in patients treated with drugs targeting the interleukin-6 pathway. Thus, this project aims to evaluate different tools assisting disease activity monitoring and/or predict future relapses and higher treatment requirements. Up to 175 patients with GCA in remission will be enrolled to ensure that 144 participants complete 1 year of follow-up. Participants undergo vascular ultrasonography, including double-blinded assessment at suspected relapse, complete patient-reported outcome measures, and provide biobank blood samples.
Sarilumab Efficacy and Safety in Adults With Early Polymyalgia Rheumatica
This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, Phase 4, 3-group study to assess whether treatment with sarilumab at either 150 mg q2w (once every two weeks) or at 200 mg q2w, each given with a 52-week prednisone taper, is superior to placebo given with a 52-week prednisone taper in participants with early polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and to determine the safety and tolerability of the sarilumab regimens. The study will consist of the following visits: Visit 1 (D-42 to D-1): Screening, Visit 2 (D1): Baseline, randomization, first study drug administration, Visit 3 to 12 (Week 2 to Week 52): Treatment period, Visit 13 (Week 52): End of Treatment (EOT) visit, Visit 14 (Week 58): End of Study (EOS) visit.
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