Patricia Inacio PhD,  —

Analyzing the levels of a protein called DNASE1L3 may enable an accurate diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a study suggests. Besides being able to distinguish between AS and generalized osteoarthritis, this potential biomarker may also differentiate between active and inactive AS disease. The study, “Serum Deoxyribonuclease…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Avsola (infliximab-axxq), a biosimilar to Remicade (infliximab), to treat active ankylosing spondylitis, its maker, Amgen, announced. The new therapy has been approved across all diseases that Remicade can treat, which in addition to active ankylosing spondylitis are moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis,…

Treatment with the anti-rheumatic drug Taltz (ixekizumab) leads to early and sustained reductions in pain, fatigue, and inflammation in people with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), a Phase 3 trial shows. It also significantly improves quality of life for these patients, data show. The…

Treatment with Cosentyx (secukinumab) provided stable reduction in disease activity, as well as less pain and better mobility in people with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), a Phase 3 trial shows. Atul Deodhar, MD, the study’s lead investigator, presented the research in a session, “Secukinumab 150 mg Significantly…

Continuous use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk of hypertension by 12% in people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a prospective study suggests. The study, “Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug use is Associated with Incident Hypertension in Ankylosing Spondylitis,” was published in the journal Arthritis Care &…

Women with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) stay with TNF inhibitor treatment for significantly shorter periods than men, mostly due to ineffectiveness, and they are at higher risk of developing infections while on these biological therapies, according to real-world data from the Netherlands. The study, “Gender differences in retention rate of…

Treatment with Xeljanz (tofacitinib citrate) led to a clinically meaningful reduction in spinal and sacroiliac joint inflammation in approximately one-third of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients taking part in a Phase 2 clinical trial. The study, “Tofacitinib is associated with attainment of the minimally important…

Treatment with Novartis’ Cosentyx (secukinumab) significantly reduced disease activity compared to placebo in patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), according to new data from the Phase 3 PREVENT trial. The trial achieved its primary endpoint (goal) of Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society response criteria (ASAS40) — defined as…

Treatment with Novartis’ Cosentyx (secukinumab) led to a significant reduction in disease activity compared to placebo in patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), according to results from the ongoing Phase 3 PREVENT trial. Novartis announced that Cosentyx achieved its 16-week primary endpoint as well as all secondary endpoints. Moreover, Cosentyx’s favorable…

Yisaipu, a biosimilar of Enbrel (etanercept), has been approved in China as a pre-filled syringe to treat ankylosing spondylitis, among other conditions, announced the treatment’s developer, Sunshine Guojian Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of 3SBio. Because lack of adherence to treatment may be a cause for repeated disease onset, this new…