When Heidi Schmidt wakes up each morning, her back feels like it's made of concrete. She is one of millions of people worldwide living with axial spondyloarthritis, a painful condition that causes stiffness and inflammation in the spine and pelvis. Simple tasks like getting out of bed or tying shoelaces can be a struggle. But new research from Germany offers genuine hope.
Scientists at Ruhr University Bochum followed 574 patients taking a drug called bimekizumab for three years, tracking both safety and whether people actually felt better. Their findings, published in the Journal of Rheumatology, showed remarkably steady results over that time.
More than half of patients—57 percent—achieved what doctors call "low disease activity" by the end of the study. That means their symptoms had quieted down enough to get back to more normal daily life. Nearly 29 percent went even further, reaching what researchers classify as "inactive disease," where the condition is barely detectable.
The study was designed as a long-term extension of two earlier clinical trials called BE MOBILE 1 and BE MOBILE 2. All patients received the same dose: 160 milligrams of bimekizumab every four weeks, given as an injection under the skin. The drug works by blocking two proteins—IL-17A and IL-17F—that drive inflammation in the spine and joints.
Perhaps most reassuringly, no patients experienced major heart problems or died during the three-year follow-up. That matters because some arthritis drugs carry cardiovascular risks. The most common side effects were fungal infections, affecting about 9 in 100 patients per year, mostly yeast infections that were manageable. Rates of gut inflammation and eye inflammation were low.
Lead researcher Dr. Xenofon Baraliakos noted that benefits held steady year after year. MRI scans showed that spinal inflammation remained suppressed at three years, and patients maintained improvements in physical function and quality of life.
Axial spondyloarthritis affects roughly one in 200 people, often striking adults in their 20s and 30s. Unlike ordinary back pain, it typically improves with movement and gets worse with rest. Without treatment, the spine can fuse over time, severely limiting mobility.
These results suggest bimekizumab can offer durable relief for a condition that many patients once felt resigned to endure. The researchers wrote that the findings support dual inhibition of IL-17A and IL-17F as a sustainable long-term approach for people across the full spectrum of axial spondyloarthritis.