Certolizumab Pegol, a New Anti-TNF-α in the Armamentarium against Ocular Inflammation

Purpose: To study the efficacy and tolerance of certolizumab pegol (CZP) in active uveitis. Methods: Retrospective case series at 4 referral centers. Patients treated with CZP for active uveitis during at least 6 months were eligible. Inflammation by SUN scores, visual acuity (VA) (logMAR), and central macular thickness (CMT) were compared from baseline until final follow-up. Quiescence was defined as 0+ to 0.5+ in anterior chamber and vitreous haze scores and no CMT increase. Results: Four males and 3 females (14 eyes) were included, mean age 42.4 8.8 years. All were long-lasting chronic-relapsing uveitis with prior failure to other anti-TNF-alpha. After a mean follow-up of 10.4 +/- 4.8 months, 5/7 patients (71.4%) achieved quiescence with CZP. VA improved significantly from +0.52 +/- 0.68 to +0.45 0.68 (p = 0.032) at 1 month and to +0.44 +/- 0.64 (p = 0.035) at 6 months. No adverse events were found. Conclusion: CZP can be an effective alternative in refractory uveitis.