Biologic drugs for treatment of macrophage activation syndrome

Are biologic drugs used in the treatment of macrophage activation syndrome?

Bhaskar Dasgupta, MD: At the moment we do not use biologics apart from anakinra, which is generally used in Still disease, in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), for interleukin 1 inhibition, and that is quite effective. Tocilizumab has been used in systemic JIA but paradoxically it has also been incriminated in causing macrophage activation syndrome in a few cases.