Pharmacist becomes UK’s first patient for thyroid eye disease treatment Tepezza

Reham Buhamad, 27, who works as a pharmacist, has become the first patient in the UK to begin the infusion treatment (Tepezza) at The London Clinic, to treat the painful eye disease. The treatment, given as infusions every three weeks, takes five months to complete.

Thyroid eye disease, (TED) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the tissues behind and around the eyes causing swelling around the eyes, (particularly the skin of the brows, eyelids, and cheeks) and the muscles and fat behind the eye. This causes bulging eyes known as proptosis, eye redness and pain, double vision, and changes in eyelid position.

Reham said, “At first, I thought I was having repeated eye infections. I kept going to the emergency department because of the pain. I had eye pain most days, often with severe headaches. The symptoms interfered with my daily life, affecting my sleep the most. Some mornings I needed help opening my eyelids.

“It took me a while to realise I had thyroid eye disease” said Reham, who studied for a Masters in clinical pharmacy at UCL, and now works as a pharmacist at a hospital in Kuwait.

She added, “The appearance of my eyes also began to affect me emotionally, especially while working as a pharmacist at a hospital in Kuwait, as patients would comment on it. I became very aware of people looking at my eyes, and day in, day out it became hard to not think about.”

Reham’s GP referred her to an oculoplastic specialist who confirmed she had thyroid eye disease.

As Tepezza treatment wasn’t available in Kuwait, Reham was referred to the UK, where the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) approved Tepezza for use in May 2025.

The traditional alternative to Tepezza has been the use of intravenous steroid infusions, but this is not a targeted medication.

In the UK, Thyroid Eye Disease affects approximately 400,000 people and is more prevalent in women than in men. Considered quite rare, for every 100,000 people, 16 women and about 3 men have the autoimmune condition. When men have TED, they tend to have a more severe form.

Consultant Ophthalmic and Oculoplastic Surgeon, Hugo Henderson, who is overseeing Reham’s treatment, and monitoring her closely, explains, “A key part of the problem is that certain cells around and behind the eye become overstimulated causing them to swell and produce too much tissue. These cells have a switch called the IGF–1 receptor and in thyroid eye disease the immune system triggers this switch too much.”

Mr Henderson added, “Tepezza is a highly targeted antibody that locks onto the IgF-1 receptor and blocks it. When Tepezza attaches to that receptor, the swelling signal stops, the inflammation dampens down and the tissues behind the eye shrink back towards normal. The bulging of the eyes gradually reduces, double vision improves, redness and pain settle, and eye movement becomes easier. Eyelids also return towards their normal position, and we have seen very encouraging results with Reham.”

Reham had also researched its benefits and said, “Because I’m a pharmacist, I researched the condition a lot. I knew steroids were the usual treatment. As part of my job, I read a lot of science and research papers and had read about Tepezza and its results. Compared with steroids, Tepezza felt like a better option, especially because of my proptosis, which causes the eyes to bulge.

“My specialist also mentioned it. It wasn’t available in Kuwait at the time, so I was referred to the UK.”

Within days of the treatment, Reham said the pain had started to reduce and said “The nursing staff are kind and attentive, and both Dr Henderson and Dr Khoo have been incredibly supportive and informative. Dr Henderson visited me on the first day to check on me, which made me feel well cared for, especially being far from home. The whole team has made the process much easier.”

Though not currently available on the NHS, and only privately, Tepezza is being considered by the NHS for patients due to its efficacy.

Reham said, “My advice for someone considering the treatment is to learn about your options and speak openly with your specialist. If the condition is affecting your life the way it affected mine, treatment can make a real difference. Trust your medical team and don’t ignore your symptoms.”

To find out more about treatment for Thyroid Eye Disease, visit the London Clinic Eye Centre.