Ankylosing Spondylitis

Data on ankylosing spondylitis therapy published by researchers at University of Melbourne

Ankylosing Spondylitis Library Library Home This article was published in Pain & Central Nervous System Week, which you can subscribe to online.

"Therefore, using the information from 2 drug events databases, the purpose of this study was to assess reported cases of uveitis associated with the use of TNF inhibitors Uveitis cases occurring in the US associated with etanercept, infliximab, or adalimumab therapy that were reported to 2 spontaneous reporting databases prior to January 1, 2006 were reviewed Overall, there were 43 cases of uveitis associated with etanercept, 14 associated with infliximab, and 2 associated with adalimumab. After normalizing for the estimated number of patients treated with each medication, etanercept was associated with a greater number of uveitis cases than infliximab (p <0.001) and adalimumab (p <0.01), while no such association was found between adalimumab and infliximab (p >0.5). Using a priori criteria to avoid including patients whose underlying disease was associated with uveitis, 20 cases associated with etanercept, 4 cases associated with infliximab, and 2 cases associated with adalimumab were identified. A repeat analysis again revealed a greater number of uveitis cases associated with etanercept (p <0.001 versus infliximab) Etanercept therapy is associated with a significantly greater number of reported uveitis cases in comparison with infliximab and adalimumab in 2 medication side effect registries. These results are consistent with previous studies and suggest that this relationship is drug specific and not related to TNF inhibitors as a whole," wrote L.L. Lim and colleagues, University of Melbourne.

The researchers concluded: "However, our findings do not support the use of infliximab over etanercept; rather, if a patient develops uveitis during etanercept therapy, then a change to infliximab may be warranted."

Lim and colleagues published their study in Arthritis and Rheumatism (Do tumor necrosis factor inhibitors cause uveitis? A registry-based study Arthritis and Rheumatism, 2007;56(10):3248-52).

For additional information, contact L.L. Lim, University of Melbourne, Centre for Eye Research Australia, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Publisher contact information for the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism is: Wiley-Liss, Division John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA.

Keywords: Australia, Ankylosing Spondylitis Therapy, Adalimumab, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Arthritis, Biotechnology, Drugs, Etanercept, Infliximab, Monoclonal Antibodies, Necrosis, Ophthalmology, Pharmaceuticals, Rheumatism, Rheumatology, Therapy, Treatment, Uveitis.

This article was prepared by Pain & Central Nervous System Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2007, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com.