Alice Melao,  —

A re-analysis of the genetic landscape of ankylosing spondylitis patients led to Chinese researchers identifying two proteins that may help regulate the disease. Another finding was that an existing drug called Indocid (indomethacin) might be used to bolster the anti-inflammatory role that one of the proteins plays and to curb…

Russian regulators have approved the Russian company BIOCAD’s infliximab biosimilar as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The approval was based on extensive preclinical-trial studies and trial results showing that BIOCAD is similar to Janssen’s Remicade, the company said. BIOCAD experts the results to support its product’s approval…

Treatment with Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) decreased long-term inflammation and disease progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), an analysis of Phase 3 trial data shows. The results appeared in the study, “Limited radiographic progression and sustained reductions in MRI inflammation in patients with axial…

Treatment with the monoclonal antibody Taltz (ixekizumab) significantly reduced the symptoms of radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (rad-axSpA) in patients participating in a Phase 3 clinical trial, early data show. The study, called COAST-V (NCT02696785), met its primary and all key secondary endpoints, therapy developer Eli Lilly said in a…

Use of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) does not prevent spinal fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, according to a Swedish population-based study. Findings from the study, “Do biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs reduce the spinal fracture risk related to ankylosing spondylitis? A longitudinal multiregistry matched cohort study,”…

Antibe Therapeutics has fully enrolled a trial comparing the gastrointestinal safety of investigative compound ATB-346 with naproxen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The Phase 2b trial is running as scheduled, and the company plans to release top-line data within six weeks. Naproxen, sold under the brand names Aleve, Naprosyn, and others, is one of the…

Improved diagnosis and management of fatigue and depression among people with ankylosing spondylitis can help reduce the risk of job loss in this population, researchers suggest. The study, “Association of work instability with fatigue and emotional status in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: comparison with healthy controls,” was…

Low-radiation dose computed tomography (ldCT) scans are more sensitive in detecting the progression of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) than commonly used radiographs, a study suggests. Published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, the study showed that ldCTs combined with a specific scoring measure can provide more detailed and…

A new reusable autoinjector system developed by Amgen for the administration of Enbrel (etanercept) is now available to patients in the United States. The Enbrel Mini, with the AutoTouch delivery system, includes a sensor that detects the proximity of the skin, and it allows for better control over injection…

Obesity can make the spinal arthritis disease axial spondyloarthropathy worse, Irish researchers report. Obese patients are likely to have worse symptoms, less physical function, and lower quality of life, according to a team at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin. Overall, two-thirds of axSpa patients are either overweight or obese, the study…