A Study of the Efficacy of Canakinumab in Prevention of Acute Flares in Chronic Gout Patients Initiating Allopurinol Therapy (Core Study) and a Long-term Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Canakinumab in Patients With Gout (Extension Study)

Inclusion Criteria

• •Core study
• •Signed written informed consent before any study procedure is performed.
• •History of at least 2 gout flares in the year prior to Screening (Visit 1, based on patient history), thus, candidates for initiating uric acid lowering therapy.
• •Confirmed diagnosis of gout meeting the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1977 preliminary criteria for the classification of arthritis of primary gout.
• •Body Mass Index (BMI) ≤ 40 kg/m\^2.
• •Willingness to initiate allopurinol therapy as urate lowering agent for their gout therapy or having initiated allopurinol therapy within ≤ 1 month before Screening (Visit 1) or willing to re-initiate allopurinol therapy if this was stopped \> 2 months before Screening (Visit 1) for reasons different to toxicity/ intolerance or lack of efficacy.
• •Patients who completed the core study. A patient is defined as completing the core study if he/she completed the study up to and including the last visit (Visit 9).
• •Patients who have signed a written informed consent before any trial procedure is performed.