Nonradiographic Disease

The FDA has expanded the approval of secukinumab to include treatment of active nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis, allowing this drug to treat patients across the entire axSpA spectrum.

As a general rule, rheumatologists are comfortable with ambiguous diagnoses, given that so many of the conditions they manage are marked by a wide spectrum of presentations and manifestations. A prime example is axial spondyloarthritis, which is divided into two categories: radiographic axial spondyloarthritis — also called ankylosing spondylitis — and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Discussion surrounding the nonradiographic form of this disease has been known to prompt the almost preposterous fundamental question: Is it even a thing?

ATLANTA — Certolizumab pegol and bimekizumab were associated with improvements ranging from work productivity to disease activity in patients with spondyloarthritic conditions, according to findings presented in three abstracts at ACR/ARP 2019.

ATLANTA — Ixekizumab combined with conventional background medication is superior to both conventional background medication alone and placebo in improving signs, symptoms and inflammation based on MRI among patients with nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis, according to data presented at ACR/ARP 2019.