Ilaris canakinumab: Phase III data

The 12-week, double-blind, double-dummy Phase III B-RELIEVED trial in about 226 patients with acute gout showed that a single subcutaneous injection of 150 mg Ilaris met the co-primary endpoints of significantly reducing pain intensity at 72 hours as measured by VAS scores (28.1 vs. 39.5 mm, p=0.0005) and of significantly delaying time to first new gouty arthritis attack vs. intramuscular triamcinolone acetonide. Specifically, Ilaris significantly reduced the risk of suffering a new gouty arthritis attack within 3 months by 55% vs. triamcinolone acetonide (p=0.0014). Furthermore, significantly fewer patients treated with Ilaris experienced a new gouty arthritis attack vs. triamcinolone acetonide (21 vs. 40, p=0.0061). The trial enrolled patients who had >=3 gouty arthritis attacks in the previous 12 months and were either unresponsive or intolerant to common therapies such as NSAIDs or colchicine. Data were presented at the European League Against Rheumatism meeting in London. ...