EU approves Humira (Abbott) for treatment of Axial Spondyloarthritis - 02-Aug-2012

Abbott has announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Humira(adalimumab) for the treatment of adults with severe Axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA) who have no X-ray evidence of structural damage. Humira is the first and only approved medication available for non-radiographic axSpA patients (nr-axSpA). This approval marks the eighth indication for Humira in the European Union since the product's first approval in 2003. AxSpA, which includes ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nr-axSpA, can be a debilitating condition that primarily presents with chronic back pain and stiffness, and can also be accompanied by the presence of arthritis, inflammation in the eye and/or gastrointestinal tract. People with nr-axSpA can have similar signs and symptoms as AS, including chronic pain and loss of function, but do not have X-ray evidence of structural damage. Non-radiographic axSpA is most often seen in younger individuals in their most productive point in life and can go unrecognized for years.