A randomized clinical trial of bermekimab treatment for clinical improvement of systemic sclerosis.

Increased concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1α have been recently described in tissues of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) suggesting that IL-1α inhibition may be a target for treatment. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the safety and efficacy of the fully humanized IL-1α blocking monoclonal antibody bermekimab in SSc. To evaluate response to treatment, we developed the score of inhibition of progression of SSc which was validated using the CRISS index and the modified CRISS index.

The Role of Colchicine in the Treatment of Autoinflammatory Diseases.

Colchicine has been longstanding and widely used for the treatment of acute gout flares and prevention of gout relapses. Its use has been extended to a series of autoinflammatory diseases, such as familial Mediterranean fever and more recently to periodic fever with aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis, Behcet's disease and idiopathic recurrent acute pericarditis. In this review, we summarize current indications of colchicine use, discuss its pharmacokinetics and mechanism of action and examine its use in the treatment of autoinflammatory diseases.