News

Even with the coronavirus pandemic ravaging Europe and much of the world, patient advocate Lucia Monaco, PhD, of Italy remains confident that the Paris-based nonprofit she chairs will see the approval of 1,000 new rare disease therapies by 2027. That group, the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) —…

Worse sleep quality, higher disease activity, and a greater waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) predict fatigue among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a study in China found. Medical personnel should be more alert and use more effective approaches to ease fatigue symptoms in AS patients, the researchers…

Taking certain anti-inflammatory medications is associated with lower use of antidepressants and benzodiazepine-related hypnotics (BRH) among people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and other inflammatory disorders, a nationwide study from Sweden suggests. The study, “Use of antidepressants and benzodiazepine-related hypnotics before and after initiation…

HS016, a biosimilar candidate of Humira (adalimumab), was seen to have equivalent safety and effectiveness at treating adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in a Phase 3 trial in China. Researchers believe that HS016 could be a less expensive alternative to Humira for AS…

The number of treatments for children with rare diseases has grown over the past decade, according to a new study. However, despite the increase, nearly 7,000 rare diseases are still lacking treatment. And federal incentives to boost treatment development for these rare diseases have primarily focused not on creating new…

Treatment with TNF inhibitors eased disease activity and improved physical function for people with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), according to a real-world study from Italy. The extent of functional improvement correlates with both lower disease activity and shorter disease duration. The study, “Improvement of Function and…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a label update to Novartis’ Cosentyx (secukinumab), doubling the previously recommended dose to 300 mg for adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). “This approval gives clinicians added flexibility to ensure patients are able to achieve the best…

In recognition of Rare Disease Day Feb. 29, Bionews Services launched a social media campaign last month asking patients to describe what makes them rare. Running Feb. 7–29, the #WhatMakesMeRare campaign was aimed at uplifting people with rare diseases by encouraging them to share their stories and perspectives. The…

Beginning on Feb. 29, Rare Disease Day, chapters from notable scientific books and clinical review articles covering rare disorders will be available free-of-charge from Elsevier. The offer runs through April 30, and aims to supports work by researchers and clinicians into a better understanding of and treatments for rare diseases, as well…

Blood levels of the protein S100A4 are elevated in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), especially at early stages of the disease, a study found. The excessive spinal bone formation that occurs over time seems to be marked by a reduction in the protein’s levels, suggesting its implication in…