Healthcare company Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (publ) (Sobi) stated on Wednesday that it has randomised the first patient to evaluate efficacy and safety of anakinra in the treatment of Still's disease under the phase 3 study anaSTILLs.

The company said the anaSTILLs study will access and evaluate the safety of anakinra in patients with newly diagnosed Still's disease, including systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) and adult onset Still's disease (AOSD).

In conjunction, the company's anaSTILLs study is a randomised, double-blind, multicentre study being conducted in North America studying two dose levels of anakinra, administrated subcutaneously, in comparison to placebo. In total 81 individuals are planned to be randomised in the study.

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) are rare systemic disorders of auto-inflammatory nature. They share common clinical manifestations, including daily spiking fever, typical transient cutaneous rash, arthritis, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly and serositis.