Efficacy and safety of sirolimus (rapamycin) for thyroid eye disease: a systematic review

Authors

  • Jacky Ka Kit Lo Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
  • Marco Shing Yan Man Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
  • Kenneth Ka Hei Lai Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
  • Kelvin Kam Lung Chong Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China

Keywords:

Graves Ophthalmopathy, Sirolimus, MTOR Inhibitors

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to summarize available evidence on the efficacy and safety of sirolimus (rapamycin) in the treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED) in terms of improvements in clinical activity score and/or Gorman diplopia score, as well as the frequency and severity of adverse events. In total, two case reports, one case series, and three clinical trials involving 50 patients with moderate-to-severe TED with or without intractable diplopia who failed the first-line treatment of intravenous glucocorticoid and received either oral sirolimus or other immunosuppressants ‎were included in the analysis. Sirolimus appears to be effective and safe in managing TED, as indicated by improvements in both clinical activity score and Gorman diplopia score, as well as satisfactory safety profile. However, further studies are warranted to fully elucidate its efficacy and safety.

References

‎1.‎ Boulakh L, Nygaard B, Bek T, et al. Nationwide incidence of thyroid eye disease ‎and ‎cumulative incidence of strabismus and surgical interventions in Denmark. ‎JAMA ‎Ophthalmol 2022;140:667-73.‎

‎2.‎ Bartalena L, Piantanida E, Gallo D, Lai A, Tanda ML. Epidemiology, natural ‎history, risk ‎factors, and prevention of Graves' orbitopathy. Front Endocrinol ‎‎2020;11:615993.‎

‎3.‎ Bahn RS. Graves' ophthalmopathy. N Engl J Med 2010;362:726-38.‎

‎4.‎ Bartalena L, Kahaly GJ, Baldeschi L, et al. The 2021 European Group on Graves' ‎Orbitopathy (EUGOGO) clinical practice guidelines for the medical management of ‎Graves' ‎orbitopathy. Eur J Endocrinol 2021;185:G43-67.‎

‎5.‎ Taylor PN, Zhang L, Lee RWJ, et al. New insights into the pathogenesis and nonsurgical ‎management of Graves ‎orbitopathy. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2020;16:104-16.‎

‎6.‎ Burch HB, Perros P, Bednarczuk T, et al. Management of thyroid eye disease: a Consensus ‎Statement by ‎the American Thyroid Association and the European Thyroid Association. Eur ‎‎Thyroid J 2022;11:e220189.‎

‎7.‎ Lee ACH, Kahaly GJ. Novel approaches for immunosuppression in Graves' ‎‎hyperthyroidism and associated orbitopathy. Eur Thyroid J 2020;9(Suppl 1):17-30.‎

‎8.‎ Augustine JJ, Bodziak KA, Hricik DE. Use of sirolimus in solid organ transplantation. ‎‎Drugs 2007;67:369-91.‎

‎9.‎ National Institutes of Health. DailyMed - Rapamune- Sirolimus Solution rapamune- ‎‎sirolimus tablet, Sugar Coated. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Accessed 25 June 2025. ‎Available from: ‎https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=3275b824-3f82-‎‎4151-‎‎2ab2-0036a9ba0acc‎

‎10.‎ Lee ACH, Kahaly GJ. Pathophysiology of thyroid-associated orbitopathy. Best Pract ‎Res ‎Clin Endocrinol Metab 2023;37:101620.‎

‎11.‎ Laplante M, Sabatini DM. mTOR signaling in growth control and disease. Cell ‎‎‎2012;149:274-93.‎

‎12.‎ Chang S, Perry JD, Kosmorsky GS, Braun WE. Rapamycin for treatment of refractory ‎‎dysthyroid compressive optic neuropathy. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg ‎‎2007;23:225-6.‎

‎13.‎ Roos JCP, Eglitis V, Murthy R. Inhibition of fibrotic contraction by sirolimus ‎‎(rapamycin) ‎in an ex vivo model of thyroid eye disease. Ophthalmic Plast ‎Reconstr Surg 2021;37:366-71.‎

‎14.‎ Zhang M, Chong KKL, Chen ZY, et al. Rapamycin ‎improves Graves' orbitopathy by ‎suppressing CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes. JCI ‎Insight 2023;8:e160377.‎

‎15.‎ Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, et al. ‎The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated ‎guideline for reporting systematic reviews. ‎BMJ 2021;372:n71.‎

‎16.‎ ROBINS-I V2 tool. Accessed 25 June 2025. Available from ‎‎https://www.riskofbias.info/welcome/robins-i-v2‎

‎17.‎ Lanzolla G, Maglionico MN, Comi S, et al. ‎Sirolimus as a second-line treatment for ‎Graves' orbitopathy. J Endocrinol Invest ‎‎2022;45:2171-80.‎

‎18.‎ Comi S, Cosentino G, Lanzolla G, et al. ‎Long-term outcome of Graves' orbitopathy ‎following treatment with sirolimus. J ‎Endocrinol Invest 2024;48:607-18.‎

‎19.‎ Lai KKH, Wang Y, Pang CP, Chong KKL. Sirolimus versus mycophenolate mofetil ‎for ‎triple immunosuppression in thyroid eye disease patients with recent-onset ‎intractable ‎diplopia: a prospective comparative case series. Clin Exp Ophthalmol ‎‎2023;51:878-81.‎

‎20.‎ Roos JCP, Murthy R. Sirolimus (rapamycin) for the targeted treatment of the fibrotic ‎‎sequelae of Graves' orbitopathy. Eye 2019;33:679-82.‎

‎21.‎ Lee ACH, Kahaly GJ. Targeted immunotherapies for Graves' thyroidal & orbital ‎diseases. ‎Front Immunol 2025;16:1571427.‎

‎22.‎ Nguyen LS, Vautier M, Allenbach Y, et al. Sirolimus and mTOR inhibitors: a review of ‎side effects and specific ‎management in solid organ transplantation. Drug Saf 2019;42:813-‎‎25.‎

‎23.‎ U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Rapamune (sirolimus) tablets label. Accessed 25 ‎June 2025. Available from: ‎https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/021110s058lbl.pdf

‎24.‎ Lee ACH, Riedl M, Frommer L, Diana T, Kahaly GJ. Systemic safety analysis of ‎‎mycophenolate in Graves' orbitopathy. J Endocrinol Invest 2020;43:767-7.‎

‎25.‎ Feng W, Hu Y, Zhang C, et al. Efficacy and safety of ‎mycophenolate mofetil in the ‎treatment of moderate to severe Graves' orbitopathy: a ‎meta-analysis. Bioengineered ‎‎2022;13:14719-29.‎

‎26.‎ Nie T, Lamb YN. Correction: Teprotumumab: a review in thyroid eye disease. ‎Drugs ‎‎2022;82:1757.‎

‎27.‎ Ostrowski RA, Bussey MR, Shayesteh Y, Jay WM. Rituximab in the treatment of ‎thyroid ‎eye disease: a review. Neuroophthalmology 2015;39:109-15.‎

‎28.‎ Euarte AF, Xavier NF, Sales Sanz M, Cruz AAV. Efficiency and safety of ‎tocilizumab ‎for the treatment of thyroid eye disease: a systematic review. ‎Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg ‎‎2024;40:367-73.‎

‎29.‎ Comi S, Cosentino G, Sabini E, et al. ‎Serum levels of rapamycin predict the response of ‎Graves' orbitopathy to sirolimus. J ‎Endocrinol Invest 2025;48.1677-82.‎

Downloads

Published

2026-04-02

How to Cite

1.
Lo JKK, Man MSY, Lai KKH, Chong KKL. Efficacy and safety of sirolimus (rapamycin) for thyroid eye disease: a systematic review. Hong Kong J Ophthalmol [Internet]. 2026 Apr. 2 [cited 2026 May 19];30(1). Available from: https://hkjo.hk/index.php/hkjo/article/view/408

Issue

Section

Review Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)