News

TNF inhibitors, or blockers, are safer than previously thought for patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and may have fewer unwanted side effects than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the standard first-line therapy for AS, a retrospective study has found. The study, “Adverse events in…

It wasn’t until Gordana Loleska’s son David was 14 years old that doctors in their native North Macedonia diagnosed his kidney, vision, and hearing problems as Alport syndrome. Although she had known for years that something was wrong, the news that David would battle a lifelong rare disease devastated…

LINC00311, a type of long non-coding RNA molecule, is overexpressed in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and is associated with worse treatment outcomes and higher likelihood of disease recurrence, a new study shows. The study, “LINC00311 is overexpressed in ankylosing spondylitis and predict treatment outcomes and recurrence,” was published in…

A violinist with vasculitis, two Texas politicians and a pharmaceutical company whose marijuana-derived therapy helps kids with Dravet syndrome were among winners of the 2019 Rare Impact Awards. Officials of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) presented the awards during a June 22 dinner attended by…

While both Cosentyx (secukinumab) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been found to reduce disease progression in people with ankylosing spondylitis, analysis of trial data shows that the anti-rheumatic therapy worked slightly better over a two-year period. However, while Cosentyx did a somewhat better job in…

Inhibiting both IL-17A and IL-17F signaling molecules with the investigational antibody bimekizumab can effectively improve the outcomes of patients with ankylosing spondylitis, according to clinical results. The study, “Dual Neutralisation of Il-17A and Il-17F with Bimekizumab Was Associated with Improvements…

Europe’s umbrella organization for 800 rare disease associations has developed a sweeping initiative to help the continent’s 30 million rare disease patients and their caregivers learn about their conditions, find assistance and receive treatment. Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe hopes to improve the current piecemeal treatment and support program with a holistic,…

People with rare diseases know that the right government policies can make a big difference in the quality of their own lives, and those of their caregivers. But most lawmakers aren’t experts in even one well-known disease — let alone the world’s estimated 7,000 rare disorders. So how does the…

People with axial spondyloarthropathy are more prone to develop additional disorders — called “multimorbidity” — which is associated with worse disease outcomes, according to a recent Irish study. The study, “Multimorbidity is Common in Axial Spondyloarthropathy and is Associated with Worse Disease Outcomes: Results from the ASRI cohort,”…

Both the lifetime risk of valvular heart disease (VHD) and the need for pacemakers markedly increase with age for people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). But these risk rates are only slightly higher than those for people without the disease, a U.S. population-based study shows. In light of these…