Clinical trial NCT00424346 (phase 2, status: completed)
Conditions: rheumatoid arthritis
ICD codes: M06.9, M05.9, M06.08, M06.00, M06.011, M06.012, M06.019
Drugs: canakinumab, placebo
SMILES: CN1C(=O)C=C(N2CCC[C@@H](N)C2)N(CC2=C(C=CC=C2)C#N)C1=O
Eligibility criteria:

        Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply

        CORE STUDY

        Inclusion Criteria

        Core Study Inclusion Criteria At Screening

          1. Cooperative male or non-pregnant, non-lactating female patients at least 18 years of
             age who signed an informed consent before the initiation of any study procedure.

          2. Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) classified by American College of Rheumatology
             (ACR) 1987 revised criteria and with symptoms for at least 3 months before
             randomization.

          3. Functional status class I, II or III classified according to the ACR 1991 revised
             criteria.

          4. Patients treated with methotrexate (MTX) at the maximum tolerated (≤25 mg/week) and
             stable dose of ≥7.5 mg/week for at least 12 weeks before randomization.

          5. Patients who had failed any disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (including
             biologic agents and any DMARD used in combination with MTX) were allowed.

          6. For patients with previous treatment of biological therapy, the following wash-out
             periods were required before randomization:

               -  3 days for Kineret™ (anakinra) - with a terminal half-life of 4 to 6 hours (s.c.
                  route).

               -  4 weeks for Enbrel® (etanercept) - with a terminal half-life of 102 ± 30 hours
                  (s.c.

             route).

               -  8 weeks for Remicade® (infliximab) - with a terminal half-life of 8.0-9. 5 days
                  (intravenous (i.v.) infusion).

               -  12 weeks for Humira® (adalimumab) - with a terminal half-life of 10-20 days
                  (average 2 weeks) (subcutaneous (s.c.) route).

               -  12 weeks for Orencia® (abatacept) - with a terminal half-life of 13.1 (8-25) days
                  (i.v. infusion).

               -  26 weeks for any other biologic - or 10 half-lives, whichever was longer.

          7. Patients who took systemic corticosteroids had to be on a stable dose of ≤10 mg/d
             prednisone or equivalent for at least 4 weeks before randomization.

          8. Patients who were regularly taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or
             COX-2 inhibitors or paracetamol/ acetaminophen as part of their RA therapy must have
             been on a stable dose for at least 4 weeks before randomization. Patients taking
             NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors or paracetamol/acetaminophen as needed within 2 weeks
             before randomization had to stop their medication at least 24 hours before an ACR
             visit (i.e. Visits 3, 7, 8, 10 and 12 [End of Study]). Patients taking folic acid
             supplementation had to be on stable dose for at least 4 weeks before randomization.

          9. Patients with a history of immunization for Influenza (within past 12 months) and
             Pneumococcal vaccination (within 4 years) were included. If not already immunized,
             vaccination was completed when medically indicated (only during flu season for
             influenza) and such patients were included after approximately a 3 week window
             post-immunization to allow immunity to develop for vaccine.

         10. Weight ≥45 kg and body mass index (BMI) <34.0

         11. Women of non-child-bearing potential, defined as all women physiologically not capable
             of becoming pregnant.

        Core Study Inclusion criteria At Baseline (Visit 3)

          1. Disease activity criteria of ≥6 out of 28 tender joints and ≥6 out of 28 swollen
             joints.

          2. One of the following also had to be present:

               1. High-sensitive C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP) concentration ≥10 mg/L

               2. Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) ≥28 mm/1st hr

               3. a. + b. based on screening values.

        EXCLUSION

          1. History of hypersensitivity to study drug or to molecules with similar structures.

          2. Any therapy by intra-articular injections (e.g. corticosteroid) required for treatment
             of acute RA flare within 4 weeks before randomization.

          3. Current use of DMARDs other than MTX. DMARDs included but were not limited to:
             biologic agents, thiolates (D-penicillamine, thiopronine), sulfasalazine, gold
             compounds, antimalarials, cyclosporine A, azathioprine, leflunomide, and alkylating
             agents such as cyclophosphamide.

          4. If a patient had been discontinued from DMARDs, the patient should have been off the
             agent for at least 4 weeks, except leflunomide which was 8 weeks.

          5. Patients with evidence of active pulmonary disease (e.g. tuberculosis, fungal
             diseases).

          6. Donation or loss of 400 mL or more of blood within 8 weeks prior to dosing.

          7. Who had a live vaccination within 12 weeks before randomization, or were planning to
             have one during the study and were not willing/able to postpone until study
             completion.

          8. a) With bacterial, fungal or viral infections at the time of enrollment, including
             patients with evidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, hepatitis B
             and hepatitis C infection.

             b) History of a positive purified protein derivative (PPD) of tuberculin skin test
             without a follow-up of a negative chest X-ray.

             c) Patients requiring administration of antibiotics against latent tuberculosis, e.g.
             isoniazide.

          9. Underlying metabolic, hematologic, renal, hepatic, infectious or gastrointestinal
             conditions which in the opinion of the investigator immunocompromised the patient
             and/or placed the patient at unacceptable risk for participation in an
             immunomodulatory therapy. In particular, clinical evidence or history of multiple
             sclerosis or other demyelinating diseases, or Felty's syndrome.

         10. With significant medical problems, including but not limited to the following:
             uncontrolled hypertension (≥160/95 mmHg), congestive heart failure,
             type-I-diabetes(well controlled type-II-diabetes was allowed even when requiring
             insulin), thyroid disease (unless the patient was taking a stable dose of thyroid
             hormone for at least 12 weeks before randomization).

         11. Other rheumatic diseases that could confound the evaluation of efficacy, including but
             not limited to primary fibromyalgia, ankylosing spondylitis, Lyme disease, adult
             juvenile RA, systemic lupus erythematosus, gout and pseudo gout, vasculitis, psoriatic
             arthritis, reactive arthritis, primary Sjoegren's Syndrome, and Behcet's Syndrome.

         12. Any medical or psychiatric condition which, in the Investigator's opinion, would
             preclude the participant from adhering to the protocol or completing the study per
             protocol.

         13. History of malignancy of any organ system, treated or untreated, within the past 5
             years (with the exception of adequately treated basal cell carcinoma or squamous-cell
             carcinoma of the skin, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, colon polyps with non-invasive
             malignancy that have been removed).

         14. Use of any investigational drug other than RA therapy and/or devices at the time of
             randomization, or within 30 days or 5 half- lives of randomization, whichever was
             longer.

        STUDY EXTENSIONS

        Extension Studies Inclusion Criteria:

          1. Patients who completed the core CACZ885A2201 study may enter the first extension study
             upon signing informed consent. A patient is defined as completing the study if he/she
             completed the core CACZ885A2201 study up to and including Visit 12.

          2. Patients who completed the first extension study, may enter the second.

        Extension Studies Exclusion Criteria

          1. Patients for whom continued treatment in the extension is not considered appropriate
             by the treating physician.

          2. Patients who were non-compliant or who demonstrated a major protocol violation in the
             core CACZ885A2201 study.

          3. Patients who discontinued from the core CACZ885A2201 study before Visit 12.