Teprotumumab in thyroid eye disease: wonder drug or great divider?

Abstract

Progress in the management of thyroid eye disease (TED) has bee n slow for many decades. The recent introduction of teprotumumab (TEP) in the t herapeutic arena for TED has had a major impact in view of its efficacy, particularly with respect to its ability to reduce proptosis. However, the high cost of TEP, limited ava ilability to patients outside the USA, and the lack of data on cost-effectiveness are significant barriers to improving the care of patients with TED globally. Recent guidan ce from authoritative professional organisations deliver different perspectives on the role of TEP in the routine management of patients with TED, underscoring the complexities of interpreting the evidence. The advance that TEP undoubtedly represents in managi ng TED effectively has highlighted inequities faced by patients and uncertainties abou t appropriate metrics of efficacy. Professional organisations have an important role addre ssing these problems. Future studies need to focus on optimising the measurement of o utcomes and on assessing cost-effectiveness.

Keywords

• thyroid eye disease
• teprotumumab