Background
rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, axSpA, rheumatic disease
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS, TUMOR NECROSIS, THIGH DISEASE, PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS, RHEUMATIC DISEASE
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), a chronic, inflammatory rheumatic disease affecting the axial skeleton, is associated with back pain, spinal stiffness, peripheral articular and extra-musculoskeletal manifestations, and reduced quality of life [Treatment with a biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD), such as a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) or an interleukin-17 inhibitor (IL-17i), is recommended in patients with AS who have persistently high disease activity despite treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) [The efficacy and safety of upadacitinib, an oral JAK inhibitor, has been evaluated in patients with axSpA in SELECT-AXIS 1 and SELECT-AXIS 2. In SELECT-AXIS 1, sustained efficacy over 2 years was observed with upadacitinib 15 mg once daily (QD) in bDMARD-naïve patients with active AS and an IR to NSAIDs, with a safety profile consistent with previous upadacitinib studies in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis [We report here the 1-year efficacy and safety from the SELECT-AXIS 2 bDMARD-IR AS study.