A drug that fights inflammation, can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people who have already had a heart attack.
It fights inflammation and can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and lung cancer, in people who have already had one heart attack and are at high risk for another.
Canakinumab is a human monoclonal antibody targeted at IL-1B, and used for treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes.
In the CANTOS trial (Canakinumab,Antiinflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study) treatment that selectively neutralizes interleukin one beta, resulted in fewer cardiovascular events than placebo, without lowering lipid levels or blood pressure.
In the above study the magnitude of risk reduction for major cardiovascular events, what is greatest among patients with the largest reductions in levels of interleukin-6 and high sensitivity C reactive proteins, would suggest that the benefit was related to the targeting of the interleukin-1 beta-interleukin6-Creactive protein pathway of innate immunity.
Inflammation plays a critical role in atherothrombosis.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and in the United States, where it killed nearly 634,000 people in 2015-Globally, it killed 15 million.
Marketed under the brand name Ilaris.
It is approved to treat a type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and other rare disorders, not heart disease.
Approved for the treatment of familial Mediterranean fever, periodic syndromes, hyperimmunoglobulin D syndrome, and a variety of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Costs about $200,000 a year.
Has no effect on cholesterol.
It reduces inflammation, which plays a role in cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Since half of the patients who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels, it is thought inflammation may contribute to heart and artery disease.
The drug suppresses part of the immune system, it increases the risk of infections, including fatal ones.
Deaths from infection in the study appeared to match lives saved by the drug.
The drug inhibits interleukin-1β, which causes systemic inflammation.
Statins also reduce inflammation, but not always as much as this agent.
A study including only people who had blood tests showing high levels of inflammation as measured high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, with 10,061 participants from 39 countries, with an average age of 61.
25% were women, and 40 percent of all participants had diabetes.
Patients were treated with this drug in addition to their usual statins and other heart medicines.
The study found that in the placebo group, for every 100 patients followed for a year, 4.5 had a heart attack or stroke, or died from cardiovascular disease, while those who received the optimal dose of the drug, the rate was lower, 3.86.
Taking in account the length of time patients were treated, the reduction in risk was 15 percent.
The study found that the drug could reduce the number of cases and deaths from lung cancer.
The highest dose appeared to cut lung cancer incidence by two-thirds, and deaths by three-quarters.
Among patients with stable atherosclerosis, low-dose methotrexate does not reduce levels of interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, or C-reactive protein did not result in fewer cardiovascular events than placebo.
It is usually administered subcutaneously.
It has an estimated average elimination half-life of 26.1 days primarily through intracellular catabolism, with little or no renal excretion.