Arthritis Drug May Ease Another Joint Disease

-- Robert Preidt

FRIDAY, Nov. 18 The drug adalimumab (Humira) -- commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis -- may also help reduce the signs of symptoms of ankylosing spondilitis (AS), a painful and disfiguring autoimmune disease, according to an international study.

AS, which affects about one in 2,000 people in the United States, occurs when a protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) attacks certain spinal joints and causes inflammation those joints. Adalimumab is an anti-TNF agent.

This study included 315 AS patients in the United States and Europe who had no success with at least one other form of therapy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 40 milligrams of adalimumab or a placebo for 24 weeks.

Researchers used five assessment methods to measure the patients' clinical responses treatment. The goal was a 20 percent improvement in AS signs and symptoms.

At 12 and 24 weeks, more than twice as many patients taking adalimumab had achieved the 20 percent improvement goal, compared to those taking the placebo. Some of the patients showed improvement as early as two weeks into the study.

The findings were to be presented this week at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Diego.