09 April 2025
We have published an updated evidence-based clinical guideline for the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) with biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs. Nearly 10 years since the previous iteration, this update sees the inclusion of new therapies and non-pharmacological treatment options.
Guideline working group (GWG) co-chair, Prof Karl Gaffney, said:
“I really want to send home the message that this is a practical document that we feel clinicians should refer to in their clinical practice. There's a handy summary sheet, that acts as a kind of basic guide, but there's a lot more detail on the nuances of therapies in the full document, and I think it's really important that clinicians refer to this, particularly in situations where they might be struggling with management or struggling with access to advanced therapies.”
The guideline was developed by a multi-professional GWG of 21 members from across the UK, as well as experts by experience and patient organisation representatives. The GWG also included non-rheumatology experts covering ophthalmology and gastroenterology. We are delighted that the guideline is endorsed by:
- The National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS)
- The British Society of Gastroenterology
- The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
- The Primary Care Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Medicine Society
Will Gregory, Consultant Physiotherapist and GWG member, said:
“Our primary goal of treatment for people living with axSpA is to enable them to lead healthy and productive lives, so that gave us a remit for the guideline to cover every version of axial spondyloarthritis, and you’ll see that non-pharmacological treatment options are placed front and centre of this guideline’s overarching principles. The guideline also supports the health professionals that are stepping into more advanced roles across the UK with advanced practice and consultant-level nurses, AHPs, and pharmacists as part of a rheumatology team.”
Editor-in-Chief of Rheumatology, Ernest Choy, caught up with authors of the guideline in our latest Rheumatology Roundtable discussion (See below). Watch it to find out what’s new, what’s important and how the new guideline will benefit patients. You can also listen to our Talking Rheumatology podcast on the guideline.
All BSR guidelines are published in Rheumatology under an ‘open access’ licence and available for free via the BSR website.