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Higher risk of infection found for patients with RA treated with IL-1 beta inhibitors
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Recently published results showed patients with rheumatoid arthritis were more likely to experience invasive group A streptococcal infection if they were prescribed medications that inhibited interleukin-1 beta.
Researchers analyzed the FDA database on adverse events for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were prescribed anakinra.
Results showed a 330-fold increased rate of invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) disease among patients who received an interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) inhibitor. Researchers noted at least 13 hospitalizations in patients with necrotizing fasciitis, sepsis or tissue abscess. Patients prescribed anakinra who had GAS necrotizing fasciitis infections had greater mortality compared with similar infections in patients who received alternative immunosuppressant drugs or the overall expected mortality rate, according to results.
“The more we know about each step in the body’s immune response to bacterial infection, the better equipped we are to design more personalized, targeted therapies for autoimmune diseases — therapies that are effective, but minimize risk of infection,” Victor Nizet, MD, professor of pediatrics and pharmacy at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said in a press release.
He added, “Inhibiting the body’s bacterial sensor can put a person at risk for invasive infection, but just the fact that we now know that this patient population is at higher risk and why means we can take simple steps — such as close monitoring and prophylactic antibiotics — to prevent it from happening.” – by Casey Tingle
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Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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