News

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…

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…

A specific type of MRI called diffusion-weighted imaging is sensitive enough to identify patients with early signs of axial spondyloarthritis, a study has f0und. Results of the study, “Diffusion-weighted Imaging Is a Sensitive and Specific Magnetic Resonance Sequence in the Diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis,” were published in…

Treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with Humira (adalimumab) or a potential biosimilar called IBI303 had comparable effects in reducing disease activity and improving quality of life, and showed a similar safety profile, according to a Phase 3 trial in China. The study, “IBI303, a biosimilar…

Baduanjin qigong training, a traditional Chinese exercise, may reduce fatigue and morning stiffness in people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), according to a recent pilot study. The results, “A 12-week Baduanjin Qigong exercise improves symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis: A randomized controlled trial,” were published in the journal…

Eli Lilly‘s Taltz (ixekizumab) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS), also known as radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Taltz is a biological therapy, or a biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD), that blocks…

Developing gene therapies for rare diseases is one thing. Creating gene-edited “designer babies” is quite another. German legal expert Timo Minssen outlined the potentially explosive ethical landmines surrounding such issues during a recent talk at the New York Genome Center. Minssen directs the Center for Advanced Studies in…

Rare diseases deeply affect not only the children who experience them, but also their healthy brothers and sisters, as their parents can attest.    Two entries in November’s “Disorder: The Rare Disease Film Festival” will focus on what siblings go through, according to the San Francisco festival’s co-founder,…

A physical intervention program based on pilates training may be beneficial for people with ankylosing spondylitis, a study finds. The research, “One Year of Pilates Training for Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Pilot Study,” was published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is…

Mild hearing loss is common among people with ankylosing spondylitis, particularly in older patients regardless of disease severity, researchers have found. The study, “Hearing loss in ankylosing spondylitis,” was published in the International…