News

AVT02, an Humira Biosimilar, Approved in Australia to Treat AS

AVT02, a high-concentration and low-volume biosimilar to AbbVie’s Humira (adalimumab), was approved by health regulators in Australia to treat inflammatory disorders such as ankylosing spondylitis (AS). A biosimilar is a biological medicine with a high degree of similarity — in terms of quality, safety, and efficacy —…

Bimekizumab Shows Symptom Improvements in Phase 3 Trials

One year of UCB Biopharm‘s investigational therapy bimekizumab, administered subcutaneously (under the skin) once every four weeks, resulted in sustained improvement in the signs and symptoms of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), according to late-breaking data from two BE MOBILE Phase 3 clinical trials. axSpA is a type of inflammatory…

Early Anti-TNF Therapy May Raise Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in AS

Early initiation of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) medications may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events in people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a study suggests. “We designed the study with the overall hypothesis that the use of TNF inhibitors, which reduce inflammation and thus cardiovascular risk,…

Online Yoga May Help Relieve Pain, Boost Mental Health in AS: Study

Engaging in online yoga classes, or tele-yoga, may help people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) relieve pain, overcome some functional limitations, and improve their mental health, a study from India suggests. The study, “Tele-yoga in the management of ankylosing spondylitis amidst COVID pandemic: A prospective randomized controlled trial,” was…

Motto Launches Virtual Care App for Autoimmune Diseases

Motto Health has launched an all-in-one virtual health platform to expand access to comprehensive rheumatology care for people with chronic autoimmune conditions, including ankylosing spondylitis . The new app offers virtual rheumatology clinic visits, personalized lifestyle coaching, and symptom tracking, all with the goal of closing the existing…

NIH Funds Project to Speed Diagnosis of Rare Diseases

The diagnosis of rare diseases such as akylosing spondylitis (AS) is complex and often delayed. A partnership between U.S. researchers aims to use artificial intelligence to develop a software to diagnose rare diseases sooner. The four-year project, led by researchers at the University of Florida Health and the Perelman School…

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Not AS, Linked to Severe COVID-19 Risk

People with ankylosis spondylitis (AS) may not be at an increased risk of developing severe symptoms of COVID-19, according to a large U.S. study. That’s not the case, however, with those with rheumatoid arthritis, another immune-mediated disease, who were found to have a 20% higher risk of developing severe…