The only time we actually like the FDA is when they finally approve drugs—especially when they’re for rare diseases.
Well, in April of 2016, they made a rare group of people very happy—people with Familial Mediterranean Fever, an illness known to cause painful inflammation in the abdomen, joints, and lungs.
Ever heard of the pharma company, Novartis? Well, the FDA approved their medication, known as Ilaris (canakinumab), to treat not only Familial Mediterranean Fever, but also—get ready—tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome, mevalonate kinase deficiency.
Ilaris currently helps to provide relief of symptoms like fever or painful joints in people with CAPS, Muckle-Wells syndrome, and familial cold auto-inflammatory syndrome.
Well, being that Familial Mediterranean Fever is characterized by those sorts of symptoms, Ilaris can treat that now, too! Yay!
How did we not see this before?
And get this—previously, there was only ONE medication approved for Familial Mediterranean Fever. But now there’s TWO! Cue Three Dog Night’s song, “One.” If you don’t know it, look it up. It’s good. I saw them in concert just a few months ago actually—well, I saw one of them. One’s deceased, and the other? Who knows where he is?
Anyway, this is exciting stuff, am I right?? Let’s hear it for Ilaris!
If you’re as excited as we are about this new treatment, let’s hear it in the comment section below! If you’re not excited and actually kind of disappointed, well, we want to hear from you too! Go ahead and try to rain on our parade!
