Cleveland Clinic Journal of MedicineEarly Response Predicts Long-term Outcome Among Ixekizumab-treated Patients with Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

Could this be a new horizon in personalized medicine?

A recent post-hoc analysis of a phase 3 trial presented at ACR Convergence 2023 has shed light on the association between early disease activity, early clinical response, and long-term outcomes with ixekizumab in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA). The study underscores the importance of early response as a predictor of long-term outcomes, reinforcing current ASAS-EULAR recommendations for axSpA management.

Key Points:

• Early response to ixekizumab treatment in r-axSpA patients, as measured by a clinically important improvement in the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS-CII) at week 12 or 24, is associated with achieving the treatment target of inactive disease or low disease activity at week 52.
• At week 12, 42% of the patients had inactive disease or low disease activity status. By week 52, most of these patients met the target ASDAS score below 2.1.
• Patients who did not achieve an ASDAS of less than 2.1 at week 12 were more often older, female, and had a longer duration of symptoms.
• The study reinforces the current ASAS-EULAR recommendations for axSpA management, which recommend assessment for biological DMARD treatment response after at least 12 weeks of treatment.

“In short, early response predicts long-term response.“
– Sofia Ramiro, consultant rheumatologist and senior researcher, Leiden University Medical Center and Zuyderland Medical Center, Netherlands

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