Determining the efficacy of treatment in Axial SpA requires patience.
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ROME, Italy—When it comes to thinking about disease modification—a main goal in the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA) and other inflammatory diseases—it’s time to reconsider the concept, an expert said at EULAR 2015, the annual congress of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR).
The traditional way of assessing disease modification, inhibiting radiographic progression, is essentially out of date because it is kept in check so well by today’s treatments, said Robert Landewé, MD, professor of rheumatology at the University of Amsterdam.
“We don’t see a lot of radiographic progression anymore,” Dr. Landewé said. For that reason, these changes might have fallen out of line with true outcomes and what really is important to patients.