Ivarmacitinib, a highly selective Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor, tamed ankylosing spondylitis with sustained efficacy through 24 weeks in a phase 2/3 trial.

METHODOLOGY:

A phase 2/3 trial in China evaluated the efficacy and safety of ivarmacitinib in 504 adults with active ankylosing spondylitis who did not benefit from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

After 12 weeks of treatment, patients receiving 4 mg ivarmacitinib had greater improvements in disease symptoms, physical function, spinal mobility, and quality of life.

IN PRACTICE:

“Ivarmacitinib 4 mg once daily provided rapid, sustained, and clinically meaningful improvements in disease activity, signs and symptoms, function, and MRI-detected inflammation in patients with active AS [ankylosing spondylitis] who had an inadequate response to NSAIDs, with a manageable safety profile,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Xu Liu, MD, and Liling Xu, MD, of Peking University People’s Hospital in Beijing, China. It was published online on June 12, 2025, in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Source: MEDspace