Why carry out this study?

Achievement of remission is a key treatment goal for patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by chronic lower back pain and stiffness with a subsequent loss of function that imposes a substantial burden on patients’ quality of life.

The induction period of C-OPTIMISE assessed achievement of sustained clinical remission in patients with early active axSpA, including radiographic and non-radiographic axSpA, during open-label treatment with the TNF inhibitor certolizumab pegol (CZP).

What was learned from the study?

After 48 weeks of CZP treatment, 43.9% (323/736) of patients achieved sustained remission, including 42.8% (174/407) of patients with radiographic axSpA and 45.3% (149/329) with non-radiographic axSpA. There were also substantial improvements in axSpA signs and symptoms, physical function, quality of life, and MRI outcomes.

These results confirm that CZP is a suitable treatment option for patients across the broad axSpA spectrum, and provide further support for the concept of axSpA as a single disease, encompassing both radiographic and non-radiographic axSpA.