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Noted Physicians Dr. Terry J. Smith and Dr. Raymond Douglas Lead a Multi-Center Trial for Non-Surgical Treatment of Graves' Eye Disease

Tuesday, 16 May 2017 05:58 PM

La Peer Health Center

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FDA Designates Teprotumumab as a "Breakthrough Therapy" Combatting Thyroid Eye Disease;
New England Journal of Medicine Publishes Paper on the Game-Changing Drug Co-Authored By Doctors Smith and Douglas

ANN ARBOR, MI and LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 16, 2017 / The University of Michigan's Dr. Terry J. Smith and Beverly Hills, California surgeon Dr. Raymond Douglas - two prominent physicians specializing in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, also known as Graves' eye disease - have unveiled a dramatic new non-surgical treatment for Thyroid Eye Disease, one of the more serious symptoms of Graves' disease. Proof of the treatment's efficacy resulted from a 24 week treatment trial.

The rationale for using Teprotumumab in thyroid eye disease was developed in Dr. Smith's laboratory over 20 years ago. The drug was repurposed from its initial target, cancer. It now has been designated by the FDA as a "breakthrough" therapy for Thyroid Eye Disease. This designation is reserved for drugs that are destined to radically change a specific field of medicine.

A paper describing results of the clinical trial was published this month by the New England Journal of Medicine. A second trial is scheduled to begin enrolling participants later this Spring to further examine Teprotumumab's effectiveness. Several medical centers in the US and Europe will participate, including Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, CA, La Peer Health Center in Beverly Hills, CA, and the University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Center in Ann Arbor, MI.

Identification of Teprotumumab as a therapy for Thyroid Eye Disease represents an approach that will potentially replace surgery as a treatment for this condition. Teprotumumab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks a protein, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor, thought to be involved in the disease process. Teprotumumab appears to stop the disease from progressing and may also reverse it.

A total of 15 centers worldwide were involved in the initial trial that was just reported, making it the largest clinical study of a biologic agent in Thyroid Eye Disease. Drs. Smith and Douglas served as lead investigators on this recently concluded trial. Both investigators will also supervise the upcoming trial.

An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from some form of thyroid disease. The most common form of hyperthyroidism in North America, Graves' disease, causes several characteristic symptoms including extreme anxiety and fatigue, hand tremors, increased perspiration, and weight loss. The disease is often associated with bulging of the eyes, medically referred to as ophthalmopathy, and affects up to 50% of patients with Graves' disease. Teprotumumab works to block molecules that target tissues around the eye and in the immune system that result in the bulging appearance of Graves' eye disease.

The decades-long work conducted at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and later at the University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Center in Ann Arbor has succeeded in ushering in a truly game-changing treatment for thyroid eye disease. Not only might Teprotumumab replace surgery, the drug represents the first and only medicine that has been shown to reverse the disease in a double masked, placebo controlled clinical trial. Initial reaction from the medical community has been extremely positive. The authors believe that the drug will help many patients suffering from Graves' disease. "Cedars Sinai Medical Center is extremely proud to serve as a center for this extraordinary therapy," said Dr. Bruce L. Gewertz, M.D, Chair, Department of Surgery and Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs, Cedars-Sinai.

About Dr. Terry Smith:

Dr. Terry J. Smith, the Frederick G.L. Huetwell Professor in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Michigan, is an internationally-known endocrinologist who has studied Graves' disease, its eye manifestations, and related autoimmune disease for over 20 years. Dr. Smith's laboratory was first to describe the unique molecular attributes of tissue surrounding the eye that make it susceptible to inflammation in Graves' disease. Dr. Smith received his medical degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Illinois in Chicago and Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. He has completed fellowships in biophysics at the University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, in molecular biochemistry at Columbia University in New York, and clinical endocrinology at the Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago. Dr. Smith is the author of over 250 articles and book chapters, and has been awarded five patents for his research discoveries. He has been elected to the Orbit Society, is chief scientific officer for the National Graves' Foundation, and serves as reviewer for numerous scientific journals. Dr. Smith has been funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Administration since 1983.

About Dr. Raymond Douglas:

Dr. Raymond Douglas is an experienced and board certified oculoplastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, CA. He specializes in reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. Patients with thyroid eye disease, previous unsuccessful surgery (blepharoplasty), cancers of the eyelids and face, and trauma-induced injuries all seek Dr. Douglas' expert care. Dr. Douglas also has a practice in Shanghai, China and is frequently asked to teach his novel techniques to other surgeons internationally. Prior to opening his private practice in Beverly Hills, he served as the director of the Thyroid Eye Disease Center at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. His expertise in treating thyroid-associated eye diseases and cosmetic and reconstruction surgeries has made him a highly respected and sought after physician. Currently, Dr. Douglas is the Director of the Orbital and Thyroid Eye Disease program at the prestigious Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Douglas has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters and his special interest in thyroid eye disease has led him to lecture on the topic on a national and international basis. He is also the author of the definitive textbook on the many facets of care for thyroid eye disease. Dr. Douglas has earned a reputation for his customized approach to rehabilitation, which has led to safer treatments with less scarring and significantly faster recoveries. He sees patients in southern California, nationally and internationally and is committed to providing each patient with an individualized treatment plan on how to best restore their health, vitality and appearance.

CONTACT:

Steve Syatt
Public Relations
[email protected]
(818) 222-4000

SOURCE: La Peer Health Center

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