Canakinumab useful for treating Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Canakinumab (ACZ885), a new interleukin-1 (IL-1)-beta blocking monoclonal antibody, recently showed efficacy besides being well tolerated in children suffering with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA).

The finding was revealed by a new phase II study presented at PReS 2009, a joint congress with the 2009 Congress of the European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

From Sciencedaily.com:

* Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA) is one of the five major types of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) (along with oligoarticular JIA, polyarticular JIA, enthesitis related arthritis and psoriatic arthritis). sJIA is characterised by arthritis, fever and a salmon-pink rash. Systemic JIA can be challenging to diagnose because the fever and rash come and go. It affects males and females equally, unlike the other two subtypes of JIA. It is the most difficult JIA subtype to be treated. Steroids are the only effective drugs but are associated with severe adverse events including growth failure and osteoporosis.

** The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) pediatric criteria assess patient response to a treatment and are adapted to include the addition of absence of fever. An ACR Pedi 30 response represents a >30% improvement in JIA signs and symptoms, such as the number of swollen joints with loss of motion, assessment of pain and level of disability. ACR Pedi 50 represents a >50% improvement, and ACR Pedi 70 represents a >70% improvement.

Dr Nicolino Ruperto, Senior Scientist of PRINTO (Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization), an international not-for-profit research network managing trials of children with rheumatic diseases, remarked JIA (juvenile idiopathic arthritis) is the most common of all childhood chronic inflammatory disease that affects nearly one in 1,000 children, and sJIA is the most severe subtype.