FDA Approves AbbVie's Rinvoq For Treatment Of Active Non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

(RTTNews) - AbbVie (ABBV) Friday announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Rinvoq, an oral therapy for the treatment of adults with active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis with objective signs of inflammation who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to tumor necrosis factor blocker therapy.

This additional indication follows the FDA approval of Rinvoq in April of this year for adults with active ankylosing spondylitis who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to one or more TNF blockers, making it the first and only JAK inhibitor that is approved for both conditions.

Nr-axSpA is a chronic, progressive inflammatory rheumatic disease that causes joint inflammation, leading to back pain and stiffness, and cannot be detected by x-ray.5,6 Nr-axSpA and AS are two sub-types of a broader condition called axial spondyloarthritis. Approximately five percent of patients with nr-axSpA will progress to AS after five years, and 19 percent will progress after ten years.

"This latest FDA approval of RINVOQ in active nr-axSpA provides a new oral, once-daily treatment option for patients who historically have had limited treatment options for this painful, chronic disease," said Thomas Hudson, M.D., senior vice president, research and development, chief scientific officer, AbbVie. "RINVOQ is now approved to treat patients across the spectrum of axial spondyloarthritis. This further underscores AbbVie's commitment to advancing the standards of care for patients living with these diseases."