A study evaluated the impact of treatment for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) on work productivity and activity levels. These findings were published in Rheumatology and Therapy.
The researchers evaluated patient data from the phase 3 COAST-V and COAST-W studies in patients with AS naïve to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs; COAST-V) or resistant/intolerant to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi; COAST-W). The Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire for Spondyloarthritis was used to evaluate work productivity at weeks 16 and 52. Activity impairment was also assessed.
Two-thirds of patients were employed at baseline. Patients who were bDMARD-naïve and TNFi-experienced demonstrated significant improvements in activity impairment (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively). Compared to placebo, TNFi-experienced patients showed significant improvements in work impairment (P<0.05); bDMARD-naïve patients had numeric but non-significant improvements. Benefits were sustained through week 52.
Source: Rheumatology and Therapy https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40744-020-00225-4
