EU approves Humira (Abbott) for treatment of Axial Spondyloarthritis

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.