Key clinical point: Tapering canakinumab treatment might be feasible in some children in clinical remission (CR).

Major finding: After the first dose-tapering step, 70%-80% of children maintained CR for 6 months, 20% experienced disease flares, and only 35% could stop treatment altogether.

Study details: Two-part, open-label study of 182 children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, with 76 in CR randomized to either a reduced dose or extended dosing frequency tapering regimen of canakinumab with the aim to discontinue treatment.

Disclosures: The study was funded by Novartis in collaboration with the Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization (PRINTO) and the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group (PRCSG). First author Dr. Pierre Quartier was an investigator for the trial and has received research and consultancy fees from Novartis, among other pharmaceutical companies. Two of his coauthors are employees of Novartis.