<br>        Inclusion criteria :<br><br>          -  Diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) according to European League Against<br>             Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology classification criteria.<br><br>          -  Patients must be on prednisone of at least 7.5 mg/day (or equivalent) and not<br>             exceeding 20 mg/day at screening and during the screening period.<br><br>          -  Patient is willing and able to take prednisone of 15 mg/day at randomization.<br><br>          -  Patients must have a history of being treated for at least 8 weeks with prednisone<br>             (=10 mg/day or equivalent).<br><br>          -  Patient must have had at least one episode of unequivocal PMR flare while attempting<br>             to taper prednisone at a dose that is =7.5 mg/day (or equivalent) within the past 12<br>             Weeks prior to screening:<br><br>          -  Unequivocal symptoms of PMR flare include shoulder and/or hip girdle pain associated<br>             with inflammatory stiffness.<br><br>          -  Patients must have erythrocyte sedimentation rate =30 mm/hr and/or C-reactive protein<br>             =10 mg/L associated with PMR disease activity within 12 weeks prior to screening.<br><br>        Exclusion criteria:<br><br>          -  Diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (e.g., persistent or recurrent localized headache,<br>             temporal artery or scalp tenderness, jaw claudication, extremity claudication, blurry<br>             or loss of vision, symptoms of stroke).<br><br>          -  Diagnosis of active fibromyalgia.<br><br>          -  Concurrent rheumatoid arthritis or other inflammatory arthritis or other connective<br>             tissue diseases, such as but not limited to systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic<br>             sclerosis, vasculitis, myositis, mixed connective tissue disease, and ankylosing<br>             spondylitis.<br><br>          -  Concurrent diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis or neuropathic muscular diseases.<br><br>          -  Inadequately treated hypothyroidism.<br><br>          -  Organ transplant recipient.<br><br>          -  Therapeutic failure including inadequate response or intolerance, or contraindication,<br>             to biological IL-6 antagonist.<br><br>          -  Any prior (within the defined period below) or concurrent use of immunosuppressive<br>             therapies but not limited to any of the following:<br><br>          -  Janus kinase inhibitor within 4 weeks of baseline.<br><br>          -  Alkylating agents including cyclophosphamide within 6 months of baseline.<br><br>          -  Cell-depletion agents (e.g., anti CD20) without evidence of recovery of B cells to<br>             baseline level.<br><br>          -  Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors within 2-8 weeks (etanercept within 2 weeks,<br>             infliximab, certolizumab, golimumab, or adalimumab within 8 weeks), or after at least<br>             5 half-lives have elapsed, whichever is longer.<br><br>          -  Abatacept within 8 weeks of baseline.<br><br>          -  Anakinra within 1 week of baseline.<br><br>          -  Cyclosporine, azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil or leflunomide within 4 weeks of<br>             baseline.<br><br>          -  Unstable methotrexate (MTX) dose and/or MTX dose >15mg/week within 3 months of<br>             baseline<br><br>          -  Concurrent use of systemic CS for conditions other than PMR.<br><br>          -  Pregnant or breastfeeding woman.<br><br>          -  Patients with active or untreated latent tuberculosis.<br><br>          -  Patients with history of invasive opportunistic infections.<br><br>          -  Patients with fever associated with infection or chronic, persistent or recurring<br>             infections requiring active treatment.<br><br>          -  Patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.<br><br>          -  Patients with non-healed or healing skin ulcers.<br><br>          -  Patients who received any live, attenuated vaccine within 3 months of baseline.<br><br>          -  Patients who are positive for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and/or HIV.<br><br>          -  Patients with a history of active or recurrent herpes zoster.<br><br>          -  Patients with a history of or prior articular or prosthetic joint infection.<br><br>          -  Prior or current history of malignancy.<br><br>          -  Patients who have had surgery within 4 weeks of screening or planned surgery during<br>             study.<br><br>          -  Patients with a history of inflammatory bowel disease or severe diverticulitis or<br>             previous gastrointestinal perforation.<br><br>        The above information is not intended to contain all considerations relevant to a patient's<br>        potential participation in a clinical trial.<br>