FDA Approves First Treatment for Thyroid Eye Disease

The FDA approved Horizon Therapeutics’ Tepezza (teprotumumab-trbw) for the treatment of adults with thyroid eye disease (TED). The approval represents the first drug approved for the treatment of thyroid eye disease.  

This treatment has the potential to alter the course of the disease, potentially sparing patients from needing multiple invasive surgeries by providing an alternative, non‑surgical treatment option.

Tepezza is a fully human monoclonal antibody (mAb) and a targeted inhibitor of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) that is administered to patients once every three weeks for a total of eight infusions.

We expect the average net realized price for a 6-month course of therapy for Tepezza to be approximate $200,000. 

Tepezza was approved based on the results of two studies (Study 1 and 2) consisting of a total of 170 patients with active thyroid eye disease who were randomized to either receive Tepezza or a placebo. Of the patients who were administered Tepezza, 71% in Study 1 and 83% in Study 2 demonstrated a greater than 2 millimeter reduction in proptosis (eye protrusion) as compared to 20% and 10% of subjects who received placebo, respectively.

The most common adverse reactions observed in patients treated with Tepezza are muscle spasm, nausea, alopecia (hair loss), diarrhea, fatigue, hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), hearing loss, dry skin, dysgeusia (altered sense of taste) and headache. Tepezza should not be used if pregnant.