Prem Subramanian, MD, PhD, Chief of Neuro-Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado Anschutz, discusses Tepezza (teprotumumab-trbw) for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED).
TED is a chronic endocrine, autoimmune disease characterized by immune-mediated orbital inflammation that greatly impacts a person’s vision. The condition often occurs in people with hyperthyroidism or Graves’ disease, but also can occur in association with hypothyroidism, euthyroidism, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Graves’ disease affects approximately 1% to 2% of the adult population, with an estimated 40% of patients subsequently developing TED over the course of their lifetime. The onset of TED typically occurs between 30 and 50 years of age, with the disease course more severe after the age of 50. Common symptoms can include ocular discomfort, upper eyelid retraction, dry eyes, tearing, inflammation, erythema, light sensitivity, and sensation of a foreign body present in the eye.
At the NANOS Annual Meeting 2026 recently held in Boston, MA pooled data from four clinical trials were presented on teprotumumab in patients with TED. Teprotumumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets and blocks insulin-like growth factor-1 (IgG1) receptor, reducing inflammation, orbital fibroblast activation, and expansion of fat and muscle tissue behind the eye.
The data presented was from a pooled post-hoc analysis of four randomized trials and their open-label extensions that evaluated teprotumumab in patients with short duration TED (diagnosed for less than one year) and longer duration TED (diagnosed for one year or longer).
Results indicated that patients experienced improvements across all endpoints regardless of disease duration or baseline disease activity. This includes improvements in proptosis, diplopia, clinical activity score (CAS) and overall response. At 24 weeks, 82% of patients treated within one year achieved proptosis reduction versus 72% with longer disease duration, with mean eye bulging reductions of −3.0 mm and −2.6 mm, respectively. Additionally, diplopia improved in 66% of patients treated within one year and 57% of those with longer disease duration, with complete resolution achieved in 50% and 47% of patients, respectively.
To learn more about TED, visit our learning center at https://checkrare.com/thyroid-eye-disease-overview-and-diagnosis/