The Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of Canakinumab in the Treatment of Familial Mediterranean Fever: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is the most prevalent genetic autoinflammatory disorder. In most patients, treatment with colchicine can prevent attacks of fever and inflammation. However, 5%-10% of patients are resistant to colchicine treatment, while a similar percentage cannot tolerate colchicine in doses needed to prevent attacks. For these patients, Canakinumab, a full human antibody against IL-1 beta, has been approved recently by the FDA and EMA. In this article, we present a systematic review of the long-term efficacy, safety, and tolerability of Canakinumab in FMF patients who cannot tolerate colchicine or who are resistant to colchicine treatment.