Young patient first to receive treatment outside of clinical trials after MHRA approval.
A patient with an auto-immune condition that causes eye inflammation has become the first in the UK to receive a new treatment outside of clinical trials at The London Clinic in the Harley Street Health District.
The Kuwait-based pharmacist was referred to the clinic to receive the new targeted treatment for her Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) as it was licensed for use in Britain by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) last year.
Patients with the disease develop problems with their vision, eye pain and a ‘bulging’ eye appearance due to their immune system creating too much new tissue around the eyes.
The new treatment is the first targeted treatment for the condition which works by introducing an antibody that prevents the overstimulation process that leads to the eye problems in TED.
It is administered via an intravenous drip directly into a vein by a healthcare professional, is currently being considered by NICE as a treatment for NHS patients.
Thyroid Eye Disease is a relatively rare condition which affects around 50,000 people in the UK, with about 2,500 new cases annually. More women are likely to develop the condition due to potential effects of oestrogen on immune responses via orbital tissue receptors, according to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE).
NICE also reports that TED patients are most likely to be affected at around 40-44 years old and 60-64 years for women (slightly later for men), with older people likely to experience more severe forms of TED, increasing the risk of complications such as restrictive myopathy and dysthyroid optic neuropathy.
The UK first patient – 27 year old Reham Buhamad – began her treatment under Consultant Ophthalmic and Oculoplastic Surgeon, Mr Hugo Henderson at The London Clinic.
“A key part of the problem is that certain cells around and behind the eye become overstimulated causing them to swell and produce too much tissue,” said Mr Henderson.
“These cells have a switch called the IGF–1 receptor and in thyroid eye disease the immune system triggers this switch too much.
He added that the treatment acts as a “highly targeted antibody that locks onto the IgF-1 receptor and blocks it” which stops the “swelling signal” and dampens down inflammation, so the tissues behind the eye shrink back towards normal.
“The bulging of the eyes gradually reduces, double vision improves, redness and pain settle, and eye movement becomes easier,” he said.
“Eyelids also return towards their normal position, and we have seen very encouraging results with Reham.”
Intravenous steroid infusions have been used to treat this condition previously but are considered less effective as they are not targeted to the specific eye area affected.
