Stephen Foster and associates have published a paper on Treatment of Birdshot with Infliximab. You may be aware that Stephen Foster is hosting the 2013 Birdshot Day on 28 September 2013, in Boston, United States. He has a profound interest in Birdshot and was instrumental in helping us set up BUS.
The group looked at 22 people (44 eyes) who had received infliximab (as opposed to conventional immunomodulatory therapies) between July 2005 and June 2012. The patients had had Birdshot for a mean of just under 5 years and they had all tried conventional therapies which did not work for them. Ten of these patients had also used a biologic agent without success.
After starting on infliximab, 81.8% of patients had achieved a control of the inflammation within 6 months and 88.9% by one year. Macular oedema was also reduced from 22.7% at the start of receiving infliximab to 13.9% at 6 months. In addition, after 1 year, 94.4% of eyes (the 44 eyes of 22 patients) had a visual acuity of 20/40 or better.
6 patients had adverse reactions, and infliximab had to be discontinued.
The conclusion is that infliximab can be effective at controlling inflammation in people who do not do well on conventional immunomodulatory therapies.
Read the full text at:
Very interesting article.
I’ve been using Infliximab since 2008 and despite a super high doubled stranded DNA result every blood test (no adverse symptoms) I’ve found it to be the only biologic drug to stem the vision loss I have experienced since 2005. Like the test subjects I have tried multiple biologics without success. Currently visual accuity is 20/200 without pinhole and 20/50 with pinhole, so not so good but holding reasonably.
My dose is 10mg / Kg so a lot higher than in the tests reported.
I believe it’s a very expensive medicine which is perhaps why it’s not being more widely offered? I’d recommend anyone struggling to maintain visual fields or accuity to speak to their consultant about Infliximab. Its working for me.