A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that patients with thyroid eye disease who utilized the minimally invasive insulin-like growth factor I blocking antibody, teprotumumab, saw improvements in their symptoms, appearance, and quality of life.

Thyroid eye disease is a rare autoimmune disorder that causes the muscles and fatty tissues behind the eyes to swell and inflame, which makes the eyelids appear to be drooping. Patients may have double vision and light sensitivity in addition to the bulging appearance, ultimately leading to blindness. Teprotumumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that prevents the mechanism of inflammatory and autoimmune inflammation that underlies thyroid eye disease.

The study′s primary investigator stated that the results show that teprotumumab therapy is effective in reversing disease symptoms. Patients received teprotumumab intravenously once every week for three weeks over 21 weeks. Effective response was seen in two doses or six weeks of administration. The study found that after 24 weeks, 83% of those taking medicine had significant reductions in eye bulge, compared to 10% of those taking a placebo. Further, an overall response rate of 78% was seen in participants receiving teprotumumab compared to 7% of those taking a placebo.

The new finding helped the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approve Tepezza, marketed under the brand name, on a fast track, making it the first medication to treat the illness and thus beneficial to a large  patient population in providing an effective and non-invasive alternative treatment.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/new-treatment-discovered-for-rare-eye-disease-may-prevent-blindness/96347427)