July 2023

The 2023 Pipeline of Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) in Clinical Development for Spondyloarthritis (including psoriatic arthritis): a Systematic Review of Trials

RMD Open. 2023;9(3):e003279 doi 10.1136/rmdopen-2023-003279 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37507210/

This systematic review identified DMARDs evaluated for axSpA and PsA, distinguishing between csDMARDs, tsDMARDs, and bDMARDs. The review pinpointed twenty-six distinct targeted therapies currently in clinical development; 18 therapies for axSpA and 15 therapies for PsA.

Keywords:

June 2023

Sustained low functional impairment in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA): Which are the primary outcomes that should be targeted to achieve this?

Arthritis Research & Therapy (2023) 25:70 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37118833/

This real-world study showed that sustained BASDAI <3 may be a valid and feasible target for a treat-to-target strategy in AxSpA, having function as treatment goal.

Keywords:

Pain and Inflammation as Mediators of Tofacitinib Treatment Effect on Fatigue in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Mediation Analysis

Rheumatol Ther 2023;10(4):1073–1087 doi 10.1007/s40744-023-00570-0

Kristensen, et al. used mediation modelling to show that tofacitinib indirectly improved fatigue symptoms via back pain and morning stiffness. This study was carried out using FACIT-F- and BASDAI Q1-based models to determine the relationship between these variables.

Keywords:

Tofacitinib Reduces Spinal Inflammation in Vertebral Bodies and Posterolateral Elements in Ankylosing Spondylitis: Results from a Phase 2 Trial

Rheumatol Ther. 2023;10(4):1001–1020 doi 10.1007/s40744-023-00564-y

Tofacitinib treatment is associated with a significant improvement in CANDEN MRI scores of spinal inflammation in axSpA patients. This study by Østergaard, et al. also validates the CANDEN MRI scoring system as an approach for measuring axSpA-associated inflammatory lesions.

Keywords:

Effect of Intravenous Golimumab on Fatigue and the Relationship with Clinical Response in Adults with Active Ankylosing Spondylitis in the Phase 3 GO-ALIVE Study

Rheumatol Ther. 2023;10(4):983–999 doi 10.1007/s40744-023-00556-y

Administration of IV-golimumab 2 mg/kg improves fatigue symptoms in axial spondylitis in a 52 Week study. At Week 16 of treatment, improvements in ASAS, ASDAS, BASDAI and SF-36 scores were observed at week 16 of treatment.

Keywords:

Effect of Upadacitinib on Disease Activity, Pain, Fatigue, Function, Health-Related Quality of Life and Work Productivity for Biologic Refractory Ankylosing Spondylitis

Rheumatol Ther 2023; 10:679–91 doi 10.1007/s40744-023-00536-2

Upadacitinib significantly improved patient-reported outcomes in AxSpA patients with bDMARD-IR after 14 Weeks of treatment. There were notable improvements in disease activity, pain, fatigue, function, HRQoL, and work productivity.

Keywords:

March 2023

Impact of NSAIDs on 8-year Cumulative Incidence of Major Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Nationwide Study

Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023 doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead072

MACEs were observed in patients newly receiving compensation from the Long-term Illness Scheme for AS. The objective of this study was to describe the incidence of MACEs in French patients newly benefiting from the French LTI for AS. The study also sought to evaluate the effect of various treatments on the risk of MACE occurrence.

Keywords:

Safety Profile of Upadacitinib over 15 000 Patient-years Across Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis and Atopic Dermatitis

RMD Open. 2023;9(1):e002735 doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2022-002735

Integrated analysis of the safety profile of upadacitinib demonstrates that it was generally well-tolerated in RA, PsA, AS and AD, with no new safety risks identified, compared with previous reports.

Keywords:

February 2023

Clinical Efficacy of Alternative TNF Inhibitor and Secukinumab Between Primary Non-responder and Secondary Non-responder of Prior TNF Inhibitor in Ankylosing Spondylitis

Mod Rheumatol. 2023 doi: 10.1093/mr/roac005

This study demonstrated comparable drug retention between AS patients treated with alternative TNFi and secukinumab after failing to respond to prior TNFi therapy. The objective of this study was to compare the drug retention times and clinical efficacy of alternative TNFi and secukinumab in primary and secondary
non-responders with AS.

Keywords:

Achilles Enthesitis on Physical Examination Leads to Worse Outcomes After 2 Years of Follow up in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis From REGISPONSER-AS Registry

Arthritis Res Ther. doi: 10.1186/s13075-023-02988-x

The results highlighted the long-term impact of the presence of Achilles enthesitis on the burden of disease. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of Achilles' tendon enthesitis found at baseline during physical examination on the outcome measures after 2 years of follow-up in patients with AS.

Keywords: