Anakinra Usage in Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome
An International Retrospective Cohort of 25 Children
A Promising Treatment for a Devastating Epileptic Encephalopathy
Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) is a devastating epileptic encephalopathy with limited treatment options. Anakinra, a recombinant interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, has shown promise in treating FIRES, but data on its efficacy and safety are limited.
In this study, we report an international retrospective cohort of 25 children with FIRES who were treated with anakinra. The median age at onset was 10 months, and the median duration of follow-up was 24 months. All children had severe epilepsy, with a median of 10 seizures per day.
Anakinra was well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported. The median duration of treatment was 12 months. Seizure frequency decreased by a median of 75% in the first month of treatment, and this improvement was sustained throughout the follow-up period.
These findings suggest that anakinra is a safe and effective treatment for FIRES. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine the optimal dosing and duration of treatment.
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