Summary
Secukinumab has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Ankylosing Spondylitis / Axial Spondyloarthropathy would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Ankylosing Spondylitis / Axial Spondyloarthropathy. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Secukinumab to Ankylosing Spondylitis / Axial Spondyloarthropathy: 1 is currently recruiting; 2 are active or not yet recruiting; 4 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT02763046). The largest enrolment is 10000 participants (NCT01965132). Registration activity spans 2011 to 2025. The literature layer holds 16 publications for this pair: 5 Cochrane reviews, 4 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review, 1 randomised controlled trial publication and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2018 to 2025. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Ankylosing Spondylitis ranks 151 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Progressive structural damage (sacroiliac fusion, syndesmophytes) in majority without treatment; spontaneous radiographic remission essentially zero; ~10% achieve clinical remission without anti-inflammatory therapy.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 80.0 (trials 30.0, literature 30.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 8 total: 1 recruiting, 2 active / not yet recruiting, 4 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 16 (5 Cochrane reviews, 5 clinical trial publications, 4 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review, 1 randomised controlled trial publication) |
| Agent type | Biologic |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | Open Targets, ChEMBL |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02763046 | Study to Examine the Clinical Efficacy and the Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID)-Sparing Effect of Secukinumab Over 16 Weeks in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis 2016 | completed | Phase 4 | 211 |
| NCT06833112 | Interleukin-17 (IL-17) Inhibitor in Combination With Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNFα )Inhibitor for the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis 2025 | not yet recruiting | Phase 4 | 10 |
| NCT03639740 | Treat-to-target With Secukinumab in Axial Spondyloarthritis 2019 | status unknown | Phase 4 | 88 |
| NCT03136861 | SKIPPAIN - Speed of Onset of SecuKinumab-Induced Relief From Pain in Patients With AxIal SpoNdyloarthritis 2017 | completed | Phase 3 | 383 |
| NCT02696031 | Study of Efficacy and Safety of Secukinumab in Patients With Non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis 2016 | completed | Phase 3 | 555 |
| NCT01358175 | 16 Week Efficacy and 2 Year Long Term Safety and Efficacy of Secukinumab in Patients With Active Ankylosing Spondylitis 2011 | completed | Phase 3 | 371 |
| NCT07138898 | Immunosuppressant Management in Rheumatology Patients Undergoing Elective Total Shoulder Arthroplasty 2025 | not yet recruiting | Phase 2 | 80 |
| NCT01965132 | Korean College of Rheumatology Biologics and Targeted Therapy Registry 2012 | recruiting | Not applicable | 10,000 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication A secukinumab dose-escalation study in patients with ankylosing spondylitis not achieving inactive disease after 16 weeks of treatmentDeodhar A, Kivitz AJ, Magrey M et al. · Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2025 · PMID 39133200
- Cochrane review Efficacy and Safety of Interleukin-17 and Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-AnalysisLiu X, Zhao X, Li M et al. · International archives of allergy and immunology · 2025 · PMID 40010328
- Meta-analysis Risk of new-onset and recurrent uveitis with different biologics for ankylosing spondylitis: a network meta-analysisZhao X, Xie Q, He X et al. · Frontiers in immunology · 2025 · PMID 40621455
- Meta-analysis Targeted therapies and conventional care for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in China: a cost-effectiveness analysis based on the network-meta analysisShi J, Zhou W, Lin T et al. · Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2024 · PMID 39155381
- Clinical trial publication Two-year imaging outcomes from a phase 3 randomized trial of secukinumab in patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritisBraun J, Blanco R, Marzo-Ortega H et al. · Arthritis research & therapy · 2023 · PMID 37194094
- Meta-analysis Work productivity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis initiating biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: a systematic literature review and meta-analysisRudwaleit M, Mørup MF, Humphries B et al. · RMD open · 2023 · PMID 38035757
- Systematic review Efficacy and safety of biological DMARDs: a systematic literature review informing the 2022 update of the ASAS-EULAR recommendations for the management of axial spondyloarthritisWebers C, Ortolan A, Sepriano A et al. · Annals of the rheumatic diseases · 2023 · PMID 36270657
- Meta-analysis Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Janus Kinase Inhibitors and Secukinumab in Patients with Active Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisLee YH · Pharmacology · 2022 · PMID 35817017
- Clinical trial publication Effects of secukinumab on bone mineral density and bone turnover biomarkers in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: 2-year data from a phase 3 study, MEASURE 1Braun J, Buehring B, Baraliakos X et al. · BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2021 · PMID 34903218
- Clinical trial publication Secukinumab in non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: subgroup analysis based on key baseline characteristics from a randomized phase III study, PREVENTBraun J, Blanco R, Marzo-Ortega H et al. · Arthritis research & therapy · 2021 · PMID 34481517
- Clinical trial publication The risk of malignancy in patients with secukinumab-treated psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis: analysis of clinical trial and postmarketing surveillance data with up to five years of follow-upLebwohl M, Deodhar A, Griffiths CEM et al. · The British journal of dermatology · 2021 · PMID 33829482
- Cochrane review Efficacy and safety of interleukin-17 inhibitors in the treatment of chronic rheumatic diseases: A combined and updated meta-analysisHe C, Xue C, Zhu G et al. · Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics · 2021 · PMID 33768576
- Randomized controlled trial Secukinumab Efficacy on Enthesitis in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: Pooled Analysis of Four Pivotal Phase III StudiesSchett G, Baraliakos X, Van den Bosch F et al. · The Journal of rheumatology · 2021 · PMID 33722947
- Cochrane review Short-Term Efficacy and Safety of Secukinumab for Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of RCTsZhou Y, Ma J, Ge J et al. · Mediators of inflammation · 2020 · PMID 33192173
- Cochrane review Drug Survival of Biologics in Treating Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Real-World EvidenceYu CL, Yang CH, Chi CC · BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy · 2020 · PMID 32946076
- Cochrane review Risk of serious infections in biological treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: a meta-analysisWang S, He Q, Shuai Z · Clinical rheumatology · 2018 · PMID 29290076
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Secukinumab approved for Ankylosing Spondylitis / Axial Spondyloarthropathy?
Secukinumab has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Ankylosing Spondylitis / Axial Spondyloarthropathy would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Ankylosing Spondylitis / Axial Spondyloarthropathy. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Secukinumab in clinical trials for Ankylosing Spondylitis / Axial Spondyloarthropathy?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Secukinumab to Ankylosing Spondylitis / Axial Spondyloarthropathy: 1 is currently recruiting; 2 are active or not yet recruiting; 4 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT02763046). The largest enrolment is 10000 participants (NCT01965132). Registration activity spans 2011 to 2025.
What does the evidence show for Secukinumab in Ankylosing Spondylitis / Axial Spondyloarthropathy?
Secukinumab has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Ankylosing Spondylitis / Axial Spondyloarthropathy. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.