Preliminary findings suggest a drug used to treat
cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes disease might also reduce painful flare-ups in gout patients starting new medication regimens.
In a new study, the protein-inhibitor drug rilonacept (Arcalyst) appeared to markedly lower the risk of gout flare-ups during the first few months of treatments aimed at lowering uric acid levels.
"To reduce deposits of crystals in the joints, we advise patients to initiate treatment with medications that lower levels of uric acid in the blood," study author Dr. H. Ralph Schumacher
The researchers wanted to learn if rilonacept could lower this short-term risk for by neutralizing a specific target protein -- interleukin 1 or IL-1 -- before it initiates inflammation.
They looked at 83 gout patients in 27 U.S. study centers who had a history of gout flare-ups and high levels of uric acid. All were placed on a chronic uric-acid lowering regimen of the standard drug allopurinol.
About half were also given an initial double-dose injection of rilonacept (320 milligrams) followed by a single dose for 16 weeks. The other half received sugar pills.
Rilonacept patients were less likely to have flare-ups, with 15 percent experiencing flare-ups three-months into the study compared with 45 percent among the non-rilonacept group, the researchers found....
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