Kineret Prevents Attacks in Resistant Familial Mediterranean Fever
The interleukin 1 (IL-1) receptor inhibitor Kineret (anakinra; Sobi) is safe and effective for reducing attacks among patients with colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever, suggests a small, randomized controlled trial in the online Arthritis & Rheumatology.
Colchicine is the first-line therapy for familial Mediterranean fever.
“Familial Mediterranean fever is refractory to colchicine prophylaxis in 10-20% of patients,” researchers wrote. “A patient series showed anakinra, an IL-1 blocking agent, to prevent familial Mediterranean fever attacks in colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever.”
To put reports of patient improvement with anakinra to the test, researchers recruited 25 patients with familial Mediterranean fever who were taking between 1.5 mg and 3 mg of colchicine daily yet still experiencing disease attacks. The double-blind study randomly assigned participants to 100 mg of anakinra or placebo daily over 4 months.
Patients taking anakinra, researchers found, averaged 1.7 disease attacks per month compared with an average 3.5 attacks among patients taking placebo. Six patients assigned anakinra had less than 1 attack per month, while no patients assigned placebo achieved less than 1 attack per month.
Specifically, researchers noted a beneficial effect of anakinra for disease attacks involving joints as well as for quality of life. A MedPage Today report pointed out that anakinra demonstrated efficacy solely in joints, an area where colchicine treatment often fails to prevent attacks, suggesting benefits of dual therapy.
The number of adverse events were comparable between patients taking anakinra and those taking placebo, researchers reported. The study identified no severe adverse events.
—Jolynn Tumolo
References
Walsh N. IL-1 blocking agent succeeds in resistant FMF. MedPage Today. November 28, 2016.
