News

Cash-strapped governments across the 28-member European Union are struggling to control runaway healthcare expenditures — at exactly the same time as the promise of new but expensive therapies to treat rare diseases has never been greater. That’s the paradox faced by pharmaceutical companies as well as patient advocacy groups in…

Use of TNF-alpha inhibitors reduces inflammation and increases levels of eosinophils — a type of immune cell that protects the body from infections — in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a study shows. The study, “The relationship between blood eosinophil count and disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis…

The presence of a specific genetic marker called HLA-B27 in Caucasian ankylosing spondylitis patients is related to earlier disease onset and higher disease prevalence among family members, a study has found. However, according to the research, being HLAB27-positive is not related to a higher burden of disease or uveitis (inflammation of the eye).

Pfizer is recruiting adult patients with active ankylosing spondylitis for a new Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and therapeutic activity of Xeljanz (tofacitinib). The study (NCT03502616) is expected to enroll about 240 participants who have not responded or been intolerant to standard treatment with a…

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients who have failed to respond to standard therapy may benefit from treatment with ixekizumab (Taltz by Eli Lilly), Phase 3 study results show. The study, “Efficacy and Safety of Ixekizumab in the Treatment of Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis: 16 Week Results of a…

With the U.S. midterm elections now less than two weeks away, patient advocacy groups are solidly focused on a range of hot-button issues, from the Orphan Drug Tax Creditand affordable health insurance to future funding for rare disease research. Yet “whether Democrats take over the House or Senate, or…

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis treated with anti-rheumatic drugs or anti-tumor necrosis therapy are not more likely to develop infections compared to non-users, a study shows. The study, “Use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic or anti-tumour necrosis factor drugs and risk of hospitalized infection in ankylosing spondylitis,” was published in the…

Filgotinib, an investigational therapy for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and other inflammatory diseases, was able to significantly reduce disease activity, according to recent Phase 2 clinical trial results announced by Gilead Sciences and Galapagos biotech companies. The trial’s findings, “Efficacy and safety of filgotinib,…

Five-year treatment with Cosentyx (secukinumab) is safe and effective in easing signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), according to results of a Phase 3 extension clinical trial. This new data are scheduled to be presented Oct. 23 at the 2018 American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ACR/ARHP) Annual…

Malfunction of the ankylosing spondylitis-associated gene, ERAP1, is connected to the loss of a certain type of immune cell, which seems to contribute to the inflammation process associated with the disease, according to a mouse study. Researchers now want to move to human trials in the coming years to validate…