The two pivotal Phase III studies of ACZ885 (canakinumab), a medication that has the potential to treat gouty arthritis, have yielded positive results, according to Novartis. About 450 people with gouty arthritis participated in the two Phase III, 12-week, randomised, multicentre, double-blind, double-dummy, and active-controlled studies, which demonstrated that the drug provided pain relief and reduced the risk of new attacks by up to 68% in comparison to an injectable steroid.

According to Professor Alexander So of the rheumatology department at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Lausanne, Switzerland, the results demonstrate that ACZ885 represents a step forward in the treatment of Gouty Arthritis Clinical Trials in patients whose condition cannot be effectively managed by the treatments that are currently available.

Interleukin-1 beta, which is what causes pain in gouty arthritis, is the target of ACZ885's action.