Back pain, pain, swollen joints, limited movements, which are fought with a mix of physical activity, physiotherapy and drugs. But not always, not all patients are able to control the disease, ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory rheumatic disease that mainly affects the spine but can also affect the hips, knees and eyes. For these patients, a new treatment option is now available in Italy: upadacitinib, the first oral Jak inhibitor, which has just obtained reimbursement by the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa).
Patient needs
“We welcome Aifa’s obtaining the reimbursement of upadacitinib for ankylosing spondylitis, and we hope that the various Italian regions will allow rapid access to this new treatment capable of improving the lives of people affected by an often disabling disease , capable of affecting the patient also from a psychological point of view ”, commented Silvia Tonolo, president of the National Association of Rheumatic Diseases. Often patients with spondylitis are young, more often male than female: it is estimated that the ratio is 3 to 1 in the disease. And while in most cases the disease is controllable with therapy, some patients are unable to fully manage the symptoms. Spinal deformity, joint damage and disability risk compromising patients’ quality of life and autonomy.
How the drug works
Upadacitinib is a drug belonging to the class of Jak inhibitors (or Janus kinase inhibitors), approved in Europe for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or ulcerative colitis for example. It works by blocking the action of molecules that promote inflammation (the Janus kinase in fact). It is taken once a day, by mouth, is indicated in the treatment of active disease in adult patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy and widens the options available to patients and doctors, as recalled by Francesco Ciccia, Professor of Rheumatology. , University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”: “In clinical studies, upadacitinib has been shown to rapidly improve multiple aspects of this pathology, such as pain, inflammation and mobility, confirming a safety profile consistent with what has already been observed in other therapeutic indications. Italian rheumatologists now also have a new therapeutic option available to help patients find significant relief from their debilitating symptoms “.