Treating Ankylosing Spondylitis Refractory to TNF-inhibition
Treating Ankylosing Spondylitis Refractory to TNF-inhibition
A variety of new drug classes have been investigated during the last years for the treatment of patients with AS. So far, none of these new drugs has been shown to reach response rates equal to TNF-blockers. In general, the number of patients treated in controlled studies is too small to draw valid conclusions on the efficacy and safety of the drugs mentioned above. Inhibtion of T-cell costimulation with abatacept, IL-1 and 6 blockade seems to have no effect in patients with active disease. Promising results have been shown for IL-17 blockade and apremilast, but controlled studies are pending.
Conclusion
A variety of new drug classes have been investigated during the last years for the treatment of patients with AS. So far, none of these new drugs has been shown to reach response rates equal to TNF-blockers. In general, the number of patients treated in controlled studies is too small to draw valid conclusions on the efficacy and safety of the drugs mentioned above. Inhibtion of T-cell costimulation with abatacept, IL-1 and 6 blockade seems to have no effect in patients with active disease. Promising results have been shown for IL-17 blockade and apremilast, but controlled studies are pending.
Source...