Secondary outcomes will include other validated measures of SSc disease activity. MRSS, SSc health assessment questionnaire (SHAQ), which includes the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) and a SSc specific, patient visual analogue scale (VAS) for organ specific involvement will be followed during the trial. Several studies suggest that the SHAQ accurately measures disease activity and may detect smaller changes in health status. This study will also test the effect of rilonacept on global skin gene expression using microarray analyses of skin biopsies. In addition, serum biomarkers of SSc disease activity (COMP, THS-1 and IFI44) and a biomarker of inflammasome activation (CRP) will be tested before and after treatment. The change in MRSS score, SHAQ score, skin myofibroblast score, gene expression, CRP and serum biomarkers from day 0 to day 52 will be compared between the rilanocept-treated patients and the placebo-treated patients.