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 —…

Reducing the dose of TNF blockers by about half is nearly as effective as the standard dose taken by ankylosing spondylitis patients who are in stable remission, a clinical trial shows. Reducing dosage could also potentially reduce side effects. The study, “Non-inferiority of…

Treatment with Simponi Aria (golimumab) for one year reduced the signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) among adult patients with active disease, Phase 3 trial data show. The study, “Safety and efficacy of intravenous golimumab in adults with ankylosing spondylitis: Results through 1 year of the GO-ALIVE…

Anti-TNF alpha therapy is able to significantly restore ankylosing spondylitis patients’ capacity to exercise after a treatment period of four months, a small study suggests. After treatment, patients in the study improved in objective measures of cardiorespiratory fitness, such as peak oxygen uptake during exercise, maximum work…

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…

Anti-TNF therapy and other biologics — often used for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis — partially protect ankylosing spondylitis patients from heart disease, according to Australian researchers. Their study, “Biologics and cardiovascular events in inflammatory arthritis: a prospective national cohort study,” was published the journal Arthritis Research…

Women with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) report more severe disease and a poorer quality of life than men, but note comparable improvements in health after starting treatment with TNF inhibitors, a study suggests. Women switch their anti-TNF medications more often, but male patients have a faster spinal deterioration,…