Publications

Heiting et al. investigated whether the initiation of IL-17 blockade with secukinumab improves bone turnover, bone mineral density, and microarchitecture in axSpA patients. Despite symptomatic benefits of therapy with secukinumab, with improvements in pain and function, there were few biochemical, densitometric, or microarchitectural changes in skeletal health over two years of treatment with secukinumab. Larger, longer-term controlled studies using sensitive metrics such as HR-pQCT to follow bone quality are needed to improve our understanding of bone health in axSpA and the relation to disease activity and therapy.

Maksymowych et al. evaluated the effect of ixekizumab and adalimumab versus placebo over 52 weeks on structural lesions in sacroiliac joints assessed by MRI in patients naive to biological DMARDs with radiographic axSpA from the COAST-V study. The authors reported a decrease in erosion and increase in backfill at Week 16 with further reductions in erosion and increases in backfill occurring at Week 52 in patients receiving ixekizumab.

Van den Bosch et al. reported that upadacitinib 15 mg once daily led to sustained improvement in nr-axSpA over two years, including disease activity, pain, and quality of life. The study reports that 57.1% achieved ASAS40 response at week 104, with no new safety signals identified.

Deodhar et al. assessed the long-term safety, tolerability and efficacy of bimekizumab in patients with r-axSpA over five years. The study found that bimekizumab maintained disease control achieved at Wk48 through Wk256, with no new safety signals observed. Adverse events were consistent with previous reports, and clinical benefits, including improvements in disease activity and patient-reported outcomes, were sustained.

Baraliakos et al. assessed the long-term efficacy and safety of upadacitinib in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis who were refractory to biologic therapy. At week 104, the treatment sustained improvements in disease activity and functional outcomes with low rates of radiographic progression and no new safety signals.

Delcourt et al. conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis revealing that both pharmacological (DMARDs) and non-pharmacological interventions reduce fatigue in axSpA patients over short and medium terms, with greater efficacy seen when combined.

Deodhar et al. evaluated the efficacy and safety of intravenous secukinumab in patients with active axial spondyloarthritis. The study found a significant improvement in the ASAS40 response at Week 16 (40.9% vs 22.9% in placebo, P<0.0001), with responses maintained through Week 52. No new safety signals were observed.

Bimekizumab (BKZ) treatment led to early improvements in physical function, sleep, work productivity, and overall health-related quality of life at Week 16 in patients across the full axSpA disease spectrum, which were sustained through Week 52. Dubreuil et al. investigated treatment impact over one year using BASFI, MOS-Sleep-R, SF-36 PCS/MCS, WPAI:axSpA, and ASQoL scores in patients with both non-radiographic and radiographic axSpA.

More RA patients on upadacitinib versus adalimumab achieved clinical remission, LDA, and DAS28 (CRP) <2.6. Radiographic progression was less with continuous upadacitinib versus continuous adalimumab. Upadacitinib showed similar safety to adalimumab, with higher incidences of HZ, lymphopenia, CPK elevation, hepatic disorder and nonmelanoma skin cancer.

The 1-year results of the SELECT-AXIS 2 study showed significant improvements in ASAS40 achievement in patients with nr-axSpA that were treated with upadacitinib 15mg QD versus placebo. Improvements in ASDAS endpoints, back pain, BASFI, and hsCRP from baseline were also observed.