This was a phase IV, 20-week, randomized, double-blind, 3-arm, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter study to examine the clinical response of secukinumab treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis as measured by the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) 20 response and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-sparing effect. This study evaluated to which extent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment can be reduced between Week 4 and Week 12 in patients randomized to secukinumab 150 mg or placebo following an initial run-in phase of 4 weeks on stable NSAID therapy. Two NSAID tapering approaches were evaluated in this study:~an early tapering approach in which NSAID were tapered at the start of secukinumab treatment,~a delayed tapering approach in which NSAID were tapered following 4 weeks of secukinumab treatment.~Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to one of the following treatment groups:~Secukinumab - delayed NSAID tapering: Induction with secukinumab 150 mg s.c. once per week (Week 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4) followed by maintenance with secukinumab 150 mg s.c. every 4 weeks (Week 8, 12, 16 and 20), with intermittent placebo injections at Week 5, 6, 7, 17, 18 and 19 to maintain the blind. NSAID tapering allowed from Week 4 (delayed tapering).~Secukinumab - early NSAID tapering: Placebo at weeks 0, 1, 2, 3 to maintain the blind; followed by induction with secukinumab 150 mg s.c. once per week (Week 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) and maintenance with secukinumab 150 mg s.c. every 4 weeks (Week 12, 16 and 20), with intermittent placebo injections at Week 17, 18 and 19 to maintain the blind. NSAID tapering allowed from Week 4 (early tapering).~Placebo: Placebo s.c. at Week 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 12. After the Week 16 assessments of the secondary endpoint had been performed, these patients received weekly doses of secukinumab 150 mg s.c. (Week 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20). NSAID tapering allowed from Week 4.~The primary objective of the study was to demonstrate that the efficacy of secukinumab 150 mg subcutaneous (s.c.) injection (with NSAID tapering) is superior to placebo based on the proportion of patients achieving an ASAS20 response at Week 12. To show superiority, both secukinumab treatment arms were pooled and compared against placebo.
This study assessed the clinical Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) 20 response to secukinumab and evaluated to which extent concomitant nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment can be reduced in patients treated with secukinumab or placebo following an initial run-in phase of stable NSAID therapy.