There hasn't been much new relief for gout sufferers since the use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) many decades ago. So it's good to be able to report that a biological drug (rilonacept, or IL-1 Trap) has proved helpful in a preliminary trial in gout patients. A summary of this study was presented at the American College of Rheumatology meeting.

Ten patients with chronic, active, gouty arthritis were given rilonacept or placebo in this trial. Their average age was 623, and they had had gout for an average of 13 years. Twice-weekly injections of placebo were followed by twice weekly injections of rilonacept. As many as 70% of the patients had an at least 50% improvement in pain, and 60% had a 75% or better improvement in pain. C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood, as a measure of inflammation, decreased by 59% by the 8th week of treatment.

The results suggest that blocking interleukin-1 (IL-1) activity is an important new option in suitable patients with gout. Tolerance was good, and this approach may offer a better option than NSAIDs or, for the acute phase, colchicine.