News

Men, people who are employed, have a lower income, perceive less control over their lives, and are less satisfied about their social roles, are among those with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) more prone to depression, a Dutch study has shown. While disease activity contributes only moderately to depression,…

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…

The Spondylitis Association of America (SAA) and PatientPoint are working to improve spondylitis education, treatment, and support information at rheumatology practices nationwide. The partnership will utilize PatientPoint’s platform, designed to educate and empower patients, caregivers and staff to improve health outcomes and patient experiences in a range of specialties. It will…

Psoriasis in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients is not related to axial psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a type of psoriasis causing lower back inflammation and pain similar to AS, a new study has concluded.  The results of the…

Anti-TNF therapies can halt disease progression and bone loss, and are associated with clinical improvement in people with ankylosing spondylitis after one year of treatment, a study shows. The study, “Effects of 1-year anti-TNF-α…

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…

People with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are at a greater risk of developing certain inflammatory diseases — specifically, Behcet’s disease, Buerger’s disease, acute anterior uveitis, sarcoidosis, and psoriasis, according to a Taiwanese study. The study, “Risk of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases in newly diagnosed ankylosing…

Moxibustion, a form of heat therapy widely used in East Asia, given in combination with conventional treatments may be of benefit to people with ankylosing spondylitis, at least in the short-term, a study reported. Benefits, mostly patient reported after a four-week treatment, included better physical function and health-related quality of…

Next month’s annual conference of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) in Washington, D.C., couldn’t come at a better time, says Marshall Summar, MD, chairman of NORD’s board of directors. “The pace of discovery in rare diseases has gone from brisk to hypersonic,” Summar told Bionews Services, publisher…

Depression is more common among people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) than in the general population, with about a third of patients experiencing depressive symptoms, a meta-analysis reveals. The study, “Prevalence of Depression in Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” was published in the…