News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new, more highly concentrated formulation of Hadlima (adalimumab-bwwd), a biosimilar to AbbVie’s Humira (adalimumab), for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. As a biosimilar, Hadlima has similar properties, safety, and efficacy to an approved biological treatment, in this…

A new and citrate-free formulation of Taltz (ixekizumab) is being made available to treat adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) patients who have signs of inflammation. Symptoms of nr-axSpA are similar to AS, but without X-ray evidence of inflammation. This formulation of the Eli Lilly therapy was…

The first healthy volunteer in the U.S. has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating IMG-004, an oral inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) being developed as a potential therapy for a wide range of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In the Phase 1…

Health Canada has approved Rinvoq (upadacitinib) to treat active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in adults who fail to respond to a biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) or cannot tolerate these therapies. Rinvoq, developed and marketed by AbbVie, can be used alone or in combination with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), a common first…

Medications that block the activity of the pro-inflammatory molecule interleukin-17A (IL-17A) can ease symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), but further research is needed to evaluate their safety, according to an analysis. These findings were in the study “Efficacy and safety of interleukin-17A inhibitors in patients with ankylosing…

People with rare disorders have a worse healthcare experience than those affected by chronic diseases, according to the results of an international survey conducted by Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe. Indeed, rare disease patients overall give their healthcare experience a medium-low rating, of 2.5 on a scale of 1 to 5,…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the start of a Phase 2 trial of izokibep in people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), according to the therapy’s developers Affibody AB and Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals. “Obtaining FDA IND [investigational new drug] clearance is an important milestone for the izokibep…

Scores of virtual events are afoot around the world to mark Rare Disease Day 2021 on Feb. 28. The activities are focused on heightening awareness about rare diseases and the hundreds of millions of individuals they are thought to affect. Patients, caregivers, and advocates worldwide will sport denim ribbons…

People with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) who had higher pain sensitivity were more likely to have worse clinical outcomes, according to a study that found chronic pain to be common in these patients. The study, “Chronic pain and assessment of pain sensitivity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: Results…

While progress was made last year on newborn screening and other policy issues critical to rare disease patients, a “State Report Card” argues that many concerns — notably out-of-pocket costs for prescription medicines and access to affordable comprehensive care — still need attention. Those were the findings of the…