A study of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) treated with Humira, a tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) blocker, has found that the drug cuts the rate of uveitis flares by approximately half.

The RHAPSODY (Review of safety and effectiveness witH Adalimumab in Patients with active ankylosing spOnDYlitis) study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Humira as a treatment for the signs and symptoms of AS in patients with active disease despite previous non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy. The 1,250 patients enrolled also included a subset of patients with uveitis (n=274). Patients received 40 mg of Humira subcutaneously every other week for 12 weeks. Patients with symptomatic uveitis at baseline and/or in the previous year received the same regimen for a total of 20 weeks.

It was discovered that the rate of uveitis flares was reduced by approximately half, during Humira treatment, compared with the rate prior to the trial.