• About
  • Masthead
  • License Content
  • Advertise
  • Submit Press Release
  • RSS/Email List
  • 2MM Podcast
  • Write for us
  • Contact Us
2 Minute Medicine
No Result
View All Result

No products in the cart.

SUBSCRIBE
  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan+
  • Classics™+
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
2 Minute Medicine
  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan+
  • Classics™+
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
SUBSCRIBE
2 Minute Medicine
Subscribe
Home All Specialties Cardiology

Anti-IL-1β antibody, Canakinumab, lowers plasma inflammatory biomarkers independently of plasma lipids and is well-tolerated in diabetics

bys25qthea
December 6, 2012
in Cardiology, Chronic Disease
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Image: PD/CDC. Atherosclerotic Aorta. 

Key study points:

1. Monoclonal antibody inhibition of IL-1β lowered inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetes patients, on or off statin therapy.

2. IL-1β inhibition did not significantly affect plasma cholesterol (HDL-C, LDL-C), glucose or measures of insulin resistance in this group.

3. Moderate neutropenia was seen in both groups but greater in the treatment groups while other adverse events were comparable.

Primer: The inflammatory hypothesis of atherosclerosis suggests that chronic inflammation increases risk of cardiovascular complications independently of other risk factors, including cholesterol. Inflammation has long been thought to influence atherogenesis from macrophage and T cell recruitment to the artery wall to plaque rupture. In humans, establishing the independent benefit of reducing inflammation to lowering cardiovascular risk has been difficult. The JUPITER trial in 2008 demonstrated that patients with normal LDL-C but elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a marker of inflammation, had reduced cardiovascular events when treated with a statin. But because these patients also experienced reductions in LDL-C in addition to hsCRP, interpretation of the contribution from reducing inflammation proved difficult.

RELATED REPORTS

Tarlatamab in Small-Cell Lung Cancer after Platinum-Based Chemotherapy

2 Minute Medicine Rewind June 23, 2025

Reductions in pain catastrophizing are associated with improvements in emotional functioning

In 2011 the Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study (CANTOS) was initiated to formally test the contribution of targeting inflammation to lowering cardiovascular risk. Canakinumab is a monoclonal antibody developed to target IL-1β, a systemic inflammatory cytokine with a role in plaque development. Human studies have shown a clear association of IL-1β and related cytokine levels with coronary disease risk factors and events, making it a prime target for both lowering risk and for testing the inflammatory hypothesis.

This study in Circulation tests safety and efficacy of Canakinumab in lowering plasma inflammatory biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a heart disease risk-equivalent also associated with chronic inflammation.

Background reading:

1. Interleukin- 1β inhibition and the prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events: rationale and design of the Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study (CANTOS).

2. Effect of interleukin 1β inhibition in cardiovascular disease.

3. Inflammation in atherosclerosis: from pathophysiology to practice.

This [phase II randomized controlled study] study: 556 adults with T2DM well-controlled on metformin were randomized to receive a monthly dose of canakinumab (5, 15, 50, or 150 mg) or placebo for 4 months. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), glucose, insulin, lipids, hsCRP, IL-6 and fibrinogen levels and safety were evaluated at each visit.

Treatment with Canakinumab significantly lowered plasma hsCRP, IL-6 and fibrinogen relative to placebo in patients with or without statin treatment. Dose-dependent reductions in all 3 plasma biomarkers were noted for doses 5-50 mg. Reduction of biomarkers with the 150 mg dose was slightly less than that seen with 50 mg. Larger reductions in these biomarkers were noted for patients with baseline hsCRP levels > 2 mg/L. Treatment caused neutropenia in 10.7% in the treatment arm vs. 4.6% in placebo without complications, and other adverse events were uncommon and comparable in both study arms.

In sum: This phase IIb safety trial demonstrated that targeting vascular inflammation with an anti-IL-1β monoclonal antibody Canakinumab was well-tolerated in patients with well-controlled T2DM, a risk-equivalent for CAD. Because Canakinumab significantly reduced hsCRP, IL-6 and fibrinogen, all plasma biomarkers of inflammation, without affecting HDL-C or LDL-C levels, this therapy offers promise in testing the inflammatory hypothesis of atherosclerosis in a larger outcomes study.

The study’s strengths included evaluation of multiple plasma biomarkers as downstream effectors of altered inflammation after treatment. However, study did not formally evaluate for or exclude individuals with diabetic microvascular disease, which could potentially confound interpretation of anti-inflammatory therapy in this population. In addition, there was high variability of ethnicity in each treatment group, which may influence baseline hsCRP and other biomarker levels. Moreover, statin use was varied in the study overall. Despite these, the study was powered sufficiently to show efficacy in reduction of inflammatory biomarkers across ethnicities with and without statin treatment. Overall, this study provides a greater impetus for evaluating the final results of the ongoing CANTOS trial.

Click here to read this study in Circulation

By [SK] and [MP]

© 2012 2minutemedicine.com. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without written consent from 2minutemedicine.com. Disclaimer: We present factual information directly from peer reviewed medical journals. No post should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2minutemedicine.com. PLEASE SEE A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IN YOUR AREA IF YOU SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE OF ANY SORT.  

 

Previous Post

[Researcher Comment] Fluoroquinolones significantly increase risk of serious arrhythmias

Next Post

Protease inhibitor-based antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected children decreases malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa

RelatedReports

Patient Basics: Lung Cancer Overview
AI Roundup

Tarlatamab in Small-Cell Lung Cancer after Platinum-Based Chemotherapy

June 23, 2025
Weekly Rewinds

2 Minute Medicine Rewind June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025
Parental nonmedical prescription opioid use linked to adolescent use
Chronic Disease

Reductions in pain catastrophizing are associated with improvements in emotional functioning

June 22, 2025
High incidence of foreskin morbidity in uncircumcised males
Cardiology

Repeated medial branch blocks do not improve pain outcomes for thermal radiofrequency ablation

June 21, 2025
Next Post

Protease inhibitor-based antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected children decreases malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa

PET imaging findings may precede cognitive impairment in patients at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Drug-eluting stents in peripheral artery disease: longer patency than bare stents but no significant improvement in long-term limb viability (ACHILLES trial)

2 Minute Medicine® is an award winning, physician-run, expert medical media company. Our content is curated, written and edited by practicing health professionals who have clinical and scientific expertise in their field of reporting. Our editorial management team is comprised of highly-trained MD physicians. Join numerous brands, companies, and hospitals who trust our licensed content.

Recent Reports

  • Tarlatamab in Small-Cell Lung Cancer after Platinum-Based Chemotherapy
  • 2 Minute Medicine Rewind June 23, 2025
  • Reductions in pain catastrophizing are associated with improvements in emotional functioning
License Content
Terms of Use | Disclaimer
Cookie Policy
Privacy Statement (EU)
Disclaimer

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.

  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
No Result
View All Result

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.