The USFDA has approved Novartis' Ilaris (canakinumab) for the treatment of active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) in patients with two years age and more.
The first interleukin-1 beta inhibitor is the only treatment approved specifically for SJIA that is given as a monthly subcutaneous injection.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals development global head Timothy Wright said the approval marks the second Ilaris indication in the US for patients with rare, autoinflammatory conditions.
"We are committed to studying Ilaris in other IL-1 beta mediated inflammatory diseases, including several rare diseases for which treatment options do not currently exist," Wright added.
Phase III studies demonstrated that 84% of Ilaris-treated SJIA patients achieved significant improvement of systemic and arthritic symptoms after a single subcutaneous dose.
