TY - JOUR T1 - Consensus statement on blocking interleukin-6 receptor and interleukin-6 in inflammatory conditions: an update JF - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases JO - Ann Rheum Dis SP - 773 LP - 787 DO - 10.1136/ard-2022-222784 VL - 82 IS - 6 AU - Daniel Aletaha AU - Andreas Kerschbaumer AU - Kastriot Kastrati AU - Christian Dejaco AU - Maxime Dougados AU - Iain B McInnes AU - Naveed Sattar AU - Tanja A Stamm AU - Tsutomu Takeuchi AU - Michael Trauner AU - Désirée van der Heijde AU - Marieke Voshaar AU - Kevin L Winthrop AU - Angelo Ravelli AU - Neil Betteridge AU - Gerd-Rüdiger R Burmester AU - Johannes WJ Bijlsma AU - Vivian Bykerk AU - Roberto Caporali AU - Ernest H Choy AU - Catalin Codreanu AU - Bernard Combe AU - Mary K Crow AU - Maarten de Wit AU - Paul Emery AU - Roy M Fleischmann AU - Cem Gabay AU - Merete Lund Hetland AU - Kimme L Hyrich AU - Annamaria Iagnocco AU - John D Isaacs AU - Joel M Kremer AU - Xavier Mariette AU - Peter A Merkel AU - Eduardo F Mysler AU - Peter Nash AU - Michael T Nurmohamed AU - Karel Pavelka AU - Gyula Poor AU - Andrea Rubbert-Roth AU - Hendrik Schulze-Koops AU - Anja Strangfeld AU - Yoshiya Tanaka AU - Josef S Smolen Y1 - 2023/06/01 UR - http://ard.bmj.com/content/82/6/773.abstract N2 - Background Targeting interleukin (IL)-6 has become a major therapeutic strategy in the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory disease. Interference with the IL-6 pathway can be directed at the specific receptor using anti-IL-6Rα antibodies or by directly inhibiting the IL-6 cytokine. This paper is an update of a previous consensus document, based on most recent evidence and expert opinion, that aims to inform on the medical use of interfering with the IL-6 pathway.Methods A systematic literature research was performed that focused on IL-6-pathway inhibitors in inflammatory diseases. Evidence was put in context by a large group of international experts and patients in a subsequent consensus process. All were involved in formulating the consensus statements, and in the preparation of this document.Results The consensus process covered relevant aspects of dosing and populations for different indications of IL-6 pathway inhibitors that are approved across the world, including rheumatoid arthritis, polyarticular-course and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, giant cell arteritis, Takayasu arteritis, adult-onset Still’s disease, Castleman’s disease, chimeric antigen receptor-T-cell-induced cytokine release syndrome, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and severe COVID-19. Also addressed were other clinical aspects of the use of IL-6 pathway inhibitors, including pretreatment screening, safety, contraindications and monitoring.Conclusions The document provides a comprehensive consensus on the use of IL-6 inhibition to treat inflammatory disorders to inform healthcare professionals (including researchers), patients, administrators and payers. ER -