Anakinra in the treatment of polyarticular-course juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: safety and preliminary efficacy results of a randomized multicenter study.

This study assessed the safety and preliminary efficacy of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist anakinra in patients with polyarticular-course juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Eighty-six patients entered a 12-week open-label run-in phase (1 mg/kg anakinra daily, < or =100 mg/day). Fifty responders were randomized to anakinra or placebo in a 16-week blinded phase, followed by a 12-month open-label extension (N = 44).