Canakinumab as first line of biologic treatment in Still disease

Evidence about the effectiveness of anti-IL-1 agents have already been provided, especially for anakinra; on the contrary, data from patients treated with canakinumab are still poor if considering Still disease arisen during adulthood. While preliminary data are currently available about the different therapeutic role of anakinra according to different time of anakinra introduction, no data are available about when to start canakinumab. For this reason, we propose a study protocol aimed at assessing the role of canakinumab used as first line of biologic treatment line in Still disease in terms of short and long-term disease control, but also aimed at evaluating the need for concomitant treatment with conventional immunosuppressants, corticosteroids and NSAIDs in relation to the early start of canakinumab. Further aims will be to assess the corticosteroid sparing effect and the safety profile in patients with a recent Still’s diagnosis.

For all these reasons, we invite all the Site Investigators to enrol patients administered with canakinumab as first line of biologic treatment and to fill in the form dedicated to biologic agents “Treatment with biotechnological agents - the retrospective phase” inserting all data requested in the Instrument to better point out the follow-up while on canakinumab treatment.