Novartis says ACZ885 drug superior against gout

ZURICH Oct 20 (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG (NOVN.VX) said on Tuesday its anti-arthritis compound ACZ885 showed better pain relief and flare prevention for patients with chronic gout than an injectable corticosteroid.

"New Phase II results show that the novel biological therapy ACZ885 is significantly more effective than an injectable corticosteroid at reducing pain and preventing recurrent attacks or "flares" in patients with hard-to-treat gout, one of the most painful forms of arthritis," Novartis said.

Gout, also known as gouty arthritis, affects more than 1 percent of adults in Western countries, the group said.

ACZ885 is a fully human monoclonal antibody which blocks the action of the inflammatory protein interleukin-1 beta, Novartis said. It has already been approved under the brand name Ilaris in a number of countries for treating cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS), a rare life-long auto-inflammatory disease with debilitating symptoms and few treatment options.