Canakinumab in the Treatment of Acute Gout Flares and Prevention of New Flares in Patients Unable to Use Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and/or Colchicine Including a 12 Weeks Extension and an Open-label 48 Weeks Extension Study

Kaplan-Meier estimates of time to first new flare and confidence intervals were determined. For patients with event, time to event = (date of event - date of first dose of study drug + 1).

Patients met definition of new flare if they had:

• Flare in joint, not a previously affected joint (at baseline or during study)
• Flare in joint previously affected (at baseline or during study) after previous flare in joint has resolved completely.

Patients did not meet criterion of having new gout flare if:

· Increasing/renewed gout pain in an affected joint before flare has resolved completely.

Patients scored their pain intensity in the joint most affected at baseline on a 0-100 mm VAS, ranging from no pain (0) to unbearable pain (100), at 72 hours post-dose. Scores on the 100 mm linear scale were measured to the nearest millimeter from the left. The ANCOVA analysis included treatment group, Baseline VAS score, and body mass index (BMI) at Baseline as covariates.

This was the primary endpoint of both extension studies. Adverse event is defined as any unfavorable and unintended diagnosis, symptom, sign(including an abnormal laboratory finding),syndrome or disease which either occurs during the study, having been absent at baseline, or,if present at baseline, appears to worsen. Serious adverse event is defined as any untoward medical occurrence that results in death, is life threatening, requires inpatient hospitalization or prolongation of existing hospitalization, results in persistent or significant disability/incapacity, or is a congenital anomaly/birth defect.

This was the primary endpoint of both extension studies. Adverse event is defined as any unfavorable and unintended diagnosis, symptom, sign(including an abnormal laboratory finding),syndrome or disease which either occurs during the study, having been absent at baseline, or,if present at baseline, appears to worsen. Serious adverse event is defined as any untoward medical occurrence that results in death, is life threatening, requires inpatient hospitalization or prolongation of existing hospitalization, results in persistent or significant disability/incapacity, or is a congenital anomaly/birth defect.

The Kaplan-Meier estimates of the time to at least a 50% reduction in self-assessed pain intensity in the joint most affected at baseline was determined along with the 95% confidence interval. Patients scored their pain intensity on a 0-100 mm VAS, ranging from no pain (0) to unbearable pain (100). Scores on the 100 mm linear scale were measured to the nearest millimeter from the left. Pain was scored at Baseline; at 6 and 12 hours post-dose; and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days post-dose.

Patients scored their pain intensity on a 5-point Likert scale (none, mild, moderate, severe, extreme). Complete Resolution of Pain is defined as no pain (None) on the Likert Scale. Pain was scored at Baseline; at 6 and 12 hours post-dose; and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days post-dose. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of time to complete resolution of self-assessed pain intensity in the joint most affected and their confidence intervals were determined.

Patients scored their pain intensity on a 5-point Likert scale (none, mild, moderate, severe, extreme). Pain was scored at Baseline; at 6 and 12 hours post-dose; and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days post-dose. Complete Resolution of Pain is defined as no pain (None) on the Likert Scale. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of cumulative event rate = percentage of participants with event up to the end of the time interval.

Patients met definition of new flare if they had:

• Flare in joint, not a previously affected joint (at baseline or during study)
• Flare in joint previously affected (at baseline or during study) after previous flare in joint has resolved completely.

Patients did not meet criterion of having new gout flare if:

· Increasing/renewed gout pain in an affected joint before the flare has resolved completely.

Patients met definition of new flare if they had:

• Flare in joint, not a previously affected joint (at baseline or during study)
• Flare in joint previously affected (at baseline or during study) after previous flare in joint has resolved completely.

Patients did not meet criterion of having new gout flare if:

· Increasing/renewed gout pain in an affected joint before the flare has resolved completely.

The SF-36 measures the impact of disease on overall quality of life (QoL). This 36-item survey has 8 subscales that can be aggregated into physical- and mental-component summary scores. Scores are standardized with the use of norm-based methods based on an assessment of the general U.S. population free of chronic conditions. Scores range from 1-100 with a mean=50 and a standard deviation=10. A higher score indicates less impact on QoL. A negative change score indicates improvement. An ANCOVA model was used with treatment group and baseline SF-36 physical function subscore as covariates.

Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimates of time to first new flare and confidence intervals were determined. Patients met definition of new flare if they had:

• Flare in joint, not a previously affected joint (at baseline or during study)
• Flare in joint previously affected (at baseline or during study) after previous flare in joint has resolved completely.

Patients did not meet criterion of having new gout flare if:

· Increasing/renewed gout pain in an affected joint before the flare has resolved completely.

Patients met definition of new flare if they had:

• Flare in joint, not a previously affected joint (at baseline or during study)
• Flare in joint previously affected (at baseline or during study) after previous flare in joint has resolved completely.

Patients did not meet criterion of having new gout flare if:

· Increasing/renewed gout pain in an affected joint before the flare has resolved completely.

The Kaplan-Meier estimates of medians and 95% confidence intervals were used to calculate the endpoint.

Patients scored their pain intensity in the joint most affected at baseline on a 0-100 mm VAS, ranging from no pain (0) to unbearable pain (100). Scores on the 100 mm linear scale were measured to the nearest millimeter from the left. The ANCOVA analysis included treatment group, Baseline VAS score, and body mass index (BMI) at Baseline as covariates.

Maximum severity is the maximum Likert score recorded after the start of the flare. Participant scored their current pain intensity in the most affected joint of the gout flare on a 5-point Likert Scale (none, mild, moderate, severe, extreme). It participant had a new flare, they also scored the maximum amount of acute gout pain in the most affected joint since the onset of a new flare on 5 point Likert scale (none, mild, moderate, severe, extreme).

Patients who had difficulty in tolerating their pain were allowed to take rescue medication after the 6-hour post-dose pain assessments as follows:

• Acetaminophen (paracetamol) 500 mg and/ or codeine 30 mg as required. A maximum of 1 g/dose or 3 g/day of acetaminophen and 30 mg/ dose or 180 mg/day of codeine was allowed.
• If they had insufficient pain relief, patients were allowed to take a maximum of 30 mg of oral prednisolon as required per day for 2 days followed by up to 20 mg of prednisolone as required subsequent days within 7 days of a gout flare.

Patients who had difficulty in tolerating their pain were allowed to take rescue medication after the 6-hour post-dose pain assessments. Permitted rescue medications included acetaminophen 500 mg and/ or codeine 30 mg as needed. If they had insufficient pain relief, patients were allowed to take a maximum of 30 mg of oral prednisolone as needed per day for 2 days followed by up to 20 mg of prednisolone as needed per day for 3 subsequent days within 7 days after randomization or after re-dose/injection administration.

High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) were determined in blood serum in order to identify the presence of inflammation, to determine its severity, and to monitor the response to treatment. Analytes were measured by a central laboratory. The analysis included treatment group, log-transformed protein level at baseline, and body mass index (BMI) at baseline as covariates.

The study physician made a global assessment of the patient's response to treatment using a 5-point Likert scale: Very good, good, fair, poor, very poor. The percentage of patients in each category is reported. The physician completed the assessment without viewing any of the patient's assessments (pain intensity [Visual Analog Scale and Likert scale] and patient's global assessment of response to treatment).

Patients made a global assessment of response to treatment using a 5-point Likert scale: Excellent, good, acceptable, slight, poor. Percentage of participants in each category for both core and extension periods were measured.

The study physician assessed the most affected joint for: Tenderness on a 0-3 point scale: No pain, patient states that "there is pain", patient states "there is pain and winces", and patient states "there is pain, winces, and withdraws" on palpation or passive movement of the affected study joint; Swelling on a 0-3 point scale: No swelling, palpable, visible, and bulging beyond the joint margins; and Erythema: Present or absent. The percentage of patients in each category is reported.

The study physician assessed the range of motion of the most affected joint for range of motion on a 5-point Likert scale: Normal, mildly restricted, moderately restricted, severely restricted, immobilized. The percentage of patients in each category is reported.

Participant scored their current pain intensity in the most affected joint of the gout flare on a 5-point Likert Scale (none, mild, moderate, severe, extreme). It participant had a new flare, they also scored the maximum amount of acute gout pain in the most affected joint since the onset of a new flare on 5 point Likert scale (none, mild, moderate, severe, extreme).

Kaplan-Meier estimates of time to first new flare and confidence intervals were determined. For patients with event, time to event = (date of event - date of first dose of study drug + 1).

Patients met definition of new flare if they had:

• Flare in joint, not a previously affected joint (at baseline or during study)
• Flare in joint previously affected (at baseline or during study) after previous flare in joint has resolved completely.

Patients did not meet criterion of having new gout flare if:

· Increasing/renewed gout pain in an affected joint before flare has resolved completely.

Flare rate was calculated as the number of new flares over the period of observation in years. Flare rate was calculated using only those new flares before switching to canakinumab.

Patients met definition of new flare if they had:

• Flare in joint, not a previously affected joint (at baseline or during study)
• Flare in joint previously affected (at baseline or during study) after previous flare in joint has resolved completely.

Patients did not meet criterion of having new gout flare if:

· Increasing/renewed gout pain in an affected joint before the flare has resolved completely.

High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels were determined in blood serum in order to identify the presence of inflammation, to determine its severity, and to monitor the response to treatment. Analytes were measured by a central laboratory. The treatment effect reported for canakinumab arm was for last post-baseline flare after re-treated with canakinumab and for patient which switched to Canakinumab arm was for first post-baseline flare after receiving the first dose of canakinumab.

Serum Amyloid A Protein (SAA) levels were determined in blood serum in order to identify the presence of inflammation, to determine its severity, and to monitor the response to treatment. Analytes were measured by a central laboratory. The treatment effect reported for canakinumab arm was for last post-baseline flare after re-treated with canakinumab and for patient which switched to Canakinumab arm was for first post-baseline flare after receiving the first dose of canakinumab.

The study physician made a global assessment of the patient's response to treatment using a 5-point Likert scale: Very good, good, fair, poor, very poor. The percentage of patients in each category is reported. The physician completed the assessment without viewing any of the patient's assessments (pain intensity [Visual Analog Scale and Likert scale] and patient's global assessment of response to treatment). The treatment effect reported for canakinumab arm was for last post-baseline flare after re-treated with canakinumab and for patient which switched to Canakinumab arm was for first post-baseline flare after receiving the first dose of canakinumab.

Participant scored their current pain intensity in the most affected joint of the gout flare on a 5-point Likert Scale (none, mild, moderate, severe, extreme). It participant had a new flare, they also scored the maximum amount of acute gout pain in the most affected joint since the onset of a new flare on 5 point Likert scale (none, mild, moderate, severe, extreme). The treatment effect reported for canakinumab arm was for last post-baseline flare after re-treated with canakinumab and for patient which switched to Canakinumab arm was for first post-baseline flare after receiving the first dose of canakinumab.

Patients made a global assessment of response to treatment using a 5-point Likert scale: Excellent, good, acceptable, slight, poor. Percentage of participants in each category for both core and extension periods were measured. The treatment effect reported for canakinumab arm was for last post-baseline flare after re-treated with canakinumab and for patient which switched to Canakinumab arm was for first post-baseline flare after receiving the first dose of canakinumab.

The study physician assessed the most affected joint for: Tenderness on a 0-3 point scale: No pain, patient states that "there is pain", patient states "there is pain and winces", and patient states "there is pain, winces, and withdraws" on palpation or passive movement of the affected study joint; The percentage of patients in each category is reported. The treatment effect reported for canakinumab arm was for last post-baseline flare after re-treated with canakinumab and for patient which switched to Canakinumab arm was for first post-baseline flare after receiving the first dose of canakinumab.

The study physician assessed the most affected joint for: Swelling on a 0-3 point scale: No swelling, palpable, visible, and bulging beyond the joint margins; The percentage of patients in each category is reported. The treatment effect reported for canakinumab arm was for last post-baseline flare after re-treated with canakinumab and for patient which switched to Canakinumab arm was for first post-baseline flare after receiving the first dose of canakinumab.

The study physician assessed the most affected joint for Erythema: Present or absent. The percentage of patients in each category is reported. The treatment effect reported for canakinumab arm was for last post-baseline flare after re-treated with canakinumab and for patient which switched to Canakinumab arm was for first post-baseline flare after receiving the first dose of canakinumab.