News

Patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) who quit smoking have lower disease activity, better physical function, and a better quality of life than those who smoke, a study reports. Researchers call for targeted interventions to promote smoking cessation in patients with axSpA. AxSpA is a group of disorders that includes ankylosing…

Novartis has initiated a Phase 4 clinical trial to evaluate the impact of increasing the dose of Cosentyx (secukinumab) to 300 mg. in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who did not achieve symptom remission after 16 weeks of treatment with 150 mg. The ASLeap trial (NCT03350815)…

Close to a fifth of bowel disease patients have joint conditions like spondyloarthritis and peripheral arthritis, a Texas study reports. The research, “Characterization and prevalence of spondyloarthritis and peripheral arthritis among patients with inflammatory bowel disease,” was published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology.

Many ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients who start treatment with a TNF-blocker switch treatments, use additional medications, or stop the treatment completely within a year, a recent study shows. These real-world findings suggest there is room for improvement in the treatment of AS. But for better treatment strategies to emerge,…

Sandoz recently announced the addition of Erelzi (etanercept) to the public drug plan in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Prince Edward Island for the treatment of multiple inflammatory diseases including ankylosing spondylitis. Erelzi was approved by Health Canada in April 2017 and launched in August 2017. Erelzi is…

A new reusable autoinjector system developed by Amgen for the administration of Enbrel (etanercept) is now available to patients in the United States. The Enbrel Mini, with the AutoTouch delivery system, includes a sensor that detects the proximity of the skin, and it allows for better control over injection…

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) says it’s “disappointed and dismayed” after the House of Representatives voted 227-205 last week to repeal the Orphan Drug Tax Credit as part of a U.S. tax reform package. A similar package before the Senate Finance Committee does not repeal the credit…

In vitro diagnostics and theranostics company Theradiag is partnering with the U.S. biotech company Biogen to provide Lisa Tracker kits for monitoring treatment with Flixabi, a biosimilar of Remicade (infliximab). Like Remicade, which is marketed by Janssen, Biogen’s Flixabi is indicated for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and…

Boehringer Ingelheim announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Cyltezo, a biosimilar to Humira (adalimumab), for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and other chronic inflammatory diseases in adults and children. The decision follows Cyltezo’s approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2017…

Obesity can make the spinal arthritis disease axial spondyloarthropathy worse, Irish researchers report. Obese patients are likely to have worse symptoms, less physical function, and lower quality of life, according to a team at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin. Overall, two-thirds of axSpa patients are either overweight or obese, the study…