Photo Credit: usgh

The following is a summary of “Improved Pain, Morning Stiffness, and Fatigue With Bimekizumab in Axial Spondyloarthritis: Results From the Phase III BE MOBILE Studies,” published in the October 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Navarro-Compán et al. 

Researchers conducted a prospective study to assess the effect of bimekizumab on pain, morning stiffness, and fatigue in patients with nonradiographic and radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. 

They randomized patients to receive bimekizumab 160 mg or placebo every 4 weeks, with all receiving bimekizumab from week 16. Patients reported pain, stiffness, and fatigue through week 52, assessed using numerical rating scales (NRS) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI). FACIT-Fatigue scores were also reported. 

The results showed that at week 16, bimekizumab-treated patients had lower nocturnal spinal pain, total spinal pain, BASDAI scores (all P ≤ 0.001) and higher FACIT-Fatigue scores (P < 0.05) vs placebo. Improvements continued to week 52, with similar results for morning stiffness and fatigue. Over half of patients were FACIT-Fatigue responders (≥ 8-point increase) by week 52. 

The study concluded that bimekizumab led to rapid and sustained improvements in pain, morning stiffness, and other symptoms across the full spectrum of axial spondyloarthritis, lasting through week 52. 

Source: jrheum.org/content/early/2024/10/09/jrheum.2024-0223