Expectations are rising in the field for the hereditary recurrent fever syndrome Ilaris (canakinumab), which was granted reimbursement 9 years after approval.

As a treatment for an extremely rare disease with a small number of patients, its reimbursement is expected to address unmet needs in an area with no treatment option.

However, due to the nature of rare diseases, many patients suffer through a diagnostic odyssey, so efforts to diagnose patients quickly, such as by improving disease awareness, would be necessary to maximize the reimbursed use of Ilaris.