The role of secukinumab in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder involving the sacroiliac joint, spine and less frequently the peripheral joints. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and TNF-α inhibitors are utilized to reduce signs and symptoms. Whether these agents slow disease progression, is still debatable. Secukinumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody against IL-17 that has been studied in patients with ankylosing spondylitis with promising results. It has demonstrated improvement in signs, symptoms, patient reported outcomes and functional status and has been well tolerated. The clinical improvement is also mirrored in the improvement in sacroiliac joint magnetic resonance imaging scans.