According to a recent report by Deutsche bank equity analysts, Novartis already has recieved approval for its drug Ilaris. The company currently has a P3 trial underway for an additional indication for Ilaris for juvenile arthritis, but the DB analyst appears to see potential for up to $500 million in sales for this drug for
Ilaris currently is approved for CAPS (Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes). Now, I have NEVER heard of such a thing, and I watch both "Mystery Diagnosis" on Discovery Health (about to become the Oprha Winfrey network), and I also watch House. I have also been a big watcher of ER and Chicago Hope, and that one in Seattle with all those dopey girls who can't decide which guy they like. About 12 seconds with Google, though, yields information that CAPS is a group of genetically-based autoimmune-related inflammatory "syndromes."
Oh, wait, no wonder I never heard of it! It used to be known as "Hereditary Periodic Fever Syndromes." That explains everything!
But seriously, Ilaris already has been approved and is on the market. The P3 trial for juvenile arthritis is underway, and it is yet another chink in the armor of Krystexxa.
That's it for now
aa/Jay Hains
Ilaris is an antibody to IL-1, a cytokine that stimulates the immune response. It is useful for treating autoimmune diseases because it blocks the immune response (and leads to a risk of serious infection). It might help with the inflammation in gouty joints, and thus reduce some of the swelling and pain, but it does ABSOLUTELY nothing for Uric acid levels, and can't do anything about tophi. If it does get approved for Gout, it is not likely to be much of a player, because of it's mechanism of action and high cost.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the DB report indicated that it would be a treatment for "gout flares."
ReplyDeleteIt clearly is not a "disease modifying" treatment.