Long-term remission and monocyclic course in Still’s disease patients starting canakinumab early: data from the international AIDA network registry

Objectives: To evaluate whether early canakinumab initiation may provide treatment advantages in Still’s disease (SD) patients, particularly in terms of therapy discontinuation due to long-term disease remission, glucocorticoid sparing effect, and increase in the frequency of monocyclic disease course rather than a polycyclic or chronic articular pattern. Methods: SD patients treated with canakinumab were grouped according to time between disease onset and canakinumab initiation (≤3 months vs. >3 months). Patients were enrolled from the international AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) Network registry for SD. Results: Overall, 190 patients were enrolled, 35 (19%) treated with canakinumab within three months from SD onset and 155 (82%) starting canakinumab later. Glucocorticoids use decreased more rapidly in patients receiving canakinumab within 3 months from SD onset than among patients treated later, with reductions of 50% vs 6% at month 3 (p=0.0001), and 75% vs 32% at month 6 (p=0.004). In logistic regression analysis, canakinumab initiation within 3 months from disease onset was significantly associated with treatment discontinuation due to long-term remission (OR 4.83, 95% CI 1.08-23.19; p=0.04). A monocyclic course occurred in 49% of patients starting canakinumab ≤3 months versus 8% starting later (p<0.0001). Starting canakinumab within 3 months from disease onset was significantly associated with a monocyclic disease course compared with the chronic-articular (RRR 4.43, 95% CI 1.12-17.60; p=0.034) and polycyclic courses (RRR 8.97, 95% CI 1.29-62.3; p=0.03). Conclusions: Early canakinumab initiation is associated with treatment discontinuation due to long-term remission and appears linked to a greater frequency of a monocyclic disease course.