Niche approval augments progress for Ilaris

The first ever therapy for active and adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) has been approved in the USA, providing hope for people with the rare autoinflammatory condition.

The safety and efficacy of Novartis’ (NOVN: VX) Ilaris (canakinumab), previously approved for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA), was established by extrapolating from existing data and using comparable pharmacokinetic exposure.

The therapy will be available for 0.1 to 0.4 people per 100,000 that are estimated to suffer from the condition, which has overlapping features with SJIA.