News

The Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Newfoundland have joined others in adding Sandoz’s biosimilar Erelzi (etanercept) to provincial drug plans for the treatment of multiple inflammatory diseases including ankylosing spondylitis. A biosimilar of the reference medicine Enbrel, Erelzi is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitor, which means…

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis are more likely to develop a lung disorder known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared to the rest of the population, according to researchers. Their study, “The link between COPD and ankylosing spondylitis: A population based study,” was published in the European…

During pregnancy, women with axial spondyloarthritis experience stable, low disease activity that tends to peak during the second trimester, according to a recent study in Norway. The study, “Disease activity during and after pregnancy in women with axial spondyloarthritis: a prospective multicentre study,” was published in the journal Rheumatology.

At least 800 people representing some 45 countries are soon expected to gather in Austria’s capital city, Vienna, for ECRD 2018, the 9th European Conference on Rare Diseases and Orphan Products. The May 10-12 meeting is sponsored by Eurordis, the Paris-based group that defines itself as a “patient-driven alliance”…

An increase in disease activity during the early stages of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is linked to a decline in physical health-related quality of life in patients over time, according to recent study. The study, “In Early Axial Spondyloarthritis, Increasing Disease Activity Is Associated with Worsening of Health-related Quality…

Coinciding with Spondyloarthritis Awareness Month, the Spondylitis Association of America (SAA) is kicking off a national awareness campaign to educate the public and medical community about the chronic disease. About 1 in 100 people in the United States live with spondyloarthritis (SpA), the name given to a group…

Determining the levels of two types of fat in the blood — called the atherogenic index of plasma — in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can help identify those at risk of developing life-threatening atherosclerotic heart disease, according to researchers. Their study, “Atherogenic index of plasma:…

A little-known government entity within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is helping to lead U.S. efforts to speed up the development of therapies for some 7,000 rare diseases. The Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, was established in 1993 within the NIH Office of the…

Just 30 percent of people who begin experiencing inflammatory back pain — an early symptom of spondyloarthritis — develop the disease, a study reports. The research, “Clinical evolution of patients with new‐onset inflammatory back pain: a population‐based cohort study,” appeared in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology. Inflammatory back…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a label update stating there is negligible to low transfer of UCB’s Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) through the placenta and minimal transfer in breast milk from mother to infant. This information will assist healthcare providers in providing care to women with chronic inflammatory…