A Repeated Dose-finding Study of Sarilumab in Children and Adolescents With Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (SKYPS)

Inclusion criteria :

• Male and female patients aged ≥1 and ≤17 years (or country specified age requirement, 12-17 years for Russia) at the time of the screening visit.

• Diagnosis of systemic JIA subtype according to the International Associations against Rheumatism (ILAR) 2001 Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) Classification Criteria with the following features:

  • 5 active joints at screening or
  • 2 active joints at screening with systemic JIA fever >37.5 0C in the 3 days preceding baseline or for at least 3 out of any 7 consecutive days during screening despite glucocorticoids at a dose stable for at least 3 days.
• Patient with an inadequate response to current treatment and considered as a candidate for a biologic disease modifying anti rheumatic drug (DMARD) as per investigator's judgment.

Exclusion criteria:

• Body weight <10 kg or >60 kg for patients enrolled in the ascending dose cohorts, then body weight <10 kg for patients subsequently enrolled at the selected dose.
• Uncontrolled severe systemic symptoms and/or Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) within 6 months prior to screening.
• History of or ongoing interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.
• If nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (including cyclo oxygenase-2 inhibitors [COX-2]) taken, dose stable for less than 2 weeks prior to the baseline visit and/or dosing prescribed outside of approved label.
• If non-biologic DMARD taken, dose stable for less than 6 weeks prior to the baseline visit or at a dose exceeding the recommended dose as per local labeling.
• If oral glucocorticoid taken, dose exceeding equivalent prednisone dose 1 mg/kg/day (or 60 mg/day) within 3 days prior to baseline.
• Use of parenteral or intra-articular glucocorticoid injection within 4 weeks prior to baseline.
• Prior treatment with anti-interleukin 6 (IL-6) or IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) antagonist therapies, including but not limited to tocilizumab or sarilumab.
• Treatment with any biologic treatment for sJIA within 5 half-lives prior to the first dose of sarilumab (the required off treatment periods and procedures may vary according to local requirements).
• Treatment with a Janus kinase inhibitor within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of sarilumab; and treatment with growth hormone within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of sarilumab (the required off treatment periods and procedures may vary according to local requirements).
• Treatment with any investigational biologic or non-biologic product within 8 weeks or 5 half-lives prior to baseline, whichever is longer.
• Exclusion related to tuberculosis.
• Exclusion criteria related to past or current infection other than tuberculosis.
• Any live, attenuated vaccine within 4 weeks prior to the baseline visit, such as varicella-zoster, oral polio, rubella vaccines. Killed or inactive vaccine may be permitted based on the Investigator's judgment.
• Exclusion related to history of a systemic hypersensitivity reaction to any biologic drug and known hypersensitivity to any constituent of the product.
• Laboratory abnormalities at the screening visit (identified by the central laboratory).
• Severe cardiac disease due to sJIA.
• Pregnant or breast-feeding female adolescent patients.

The above information is not intended to contain all considerations relevant to a patient's potential participation in a clinical trial.