Therapy with canakinumab for gout

Abstract

A significant part of patients with gout has contraindications to taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, colchicine and glucocorticoids. Such therapy is often ineffective, particularly in patients with the severe tophaceous gout what hampers treatment of acute arthritis attack assuming the need for other methods of therapy. During the last years several medications have been introduced the mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of which is associated with inhibition of interleukin 1 (IL1) playing a key role in the development of acute gouty arthritis. To date, the most well-studied and the only registered drug for relief of acute arthritis attack is canakinumab, recommended for use in situations where other therapy options are unacceptable. Despite these limitations, the use of IL1 inhibitors, in particular canakinumab, seems promising due to the high efficiency of the drug, the ability to use it in patients with comorbid diseases, as well as a favorable effect on the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Keywords

• gout
• canakinumab
• interleukin 1β