Bimekizumab Improves Health Status and Work Productivity, With Reduced Productivity Costs, to 3 Years in Axial Spondyloarthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis
OBJECTIVE: To assess the 3-year impact of bimekizumab on health status, work productivity, and productivity costs in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: BE MOBILE 1 (NCT03928704)/BE MOBILE 2 (NCT03928743) and BE OPTIMAL (NCT03895203)/BE COMPLETE (NCT03896581), phase 3 trials in axSpA and PsA, respectively, assessed subcutaneous bimekizumab 160 mg every 4 weeks. Patients completing these studies could enter BE MOVING (NCT04436640; axSpA) or BE VITAL (NCT04009499; PsA) open-label extensions. Outcomes reported by indication as observed cases for placebo- and bimekizumab-randomized patients to Year3: changes in health status (EQ-5D-3L; EQ visual analog scale [VAS; 0-100]) and work productivity (Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire-Specific Health Problem v2.0 [WPAI-SHP]); annualized productivity cost savings from improved work impairment. RESULTS: Among 586 patients with axSpA/1,112 patients with PsA, mean EQ VAS scores improved by 20.2-21.3 (axSpA) and 17.1-17.3 (PsA) points from baseline at Year3. At Year3, most patients reported clinically meaningful improvements in work impairment (axSpA: 74.2%-81.1%; PsA: 71.2%-71.3%) and an acceptable work state, measured by WPAI-SHP presenteeism <40% (axSpA: 83.7%-84.2%; PsA: 84.1%-87.2%). In the United States, productivity cost savings (USD) were sustained to Year3: $22,012.14-$22,549.32 (axSpA), $13,327.60-$16,428.25 (PsA); similar trends observed in Europe and Japan. CONCLUSION: Bimekizumab demonstrated sustained improvements in health status and work productivity to Year3 across axSpA and PsA. Health status was comparable population norms at Year3. Productivity cost savings from reduced work impairment were observed, reflecting a reduced economic and social burden of axSpA and PsA.
Authors
- Elena Nikiphorou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6847-3726)
- Martín Rudwaleit (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5445-548X)
- M. Hwang
- Christine de la Loge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5896-5927)
- Jessica Walsh
- Atul Deodhar
- Sarah Kavanagh
- Maureen Dubreuil
- William Tillett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7531-4125)
- Jérémy Lambert
- Maarten de Wit
- Ennio Lubrano
- Patrick Healy
- Annelies Boonen
- Laure Gossec
- Pedro M. Machado
- Barbara Ink
- Michael Mørup
Institutions
- Boston University (US)
- Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (GB)
- University of Molise (IT)
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Inserm (FR)
- Oregon Health & Science University (US)
- North Carolina Institute of Medicine (US)
- Maastricht University Medical Centre (NL)
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System (US)
- Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR)
- UCB Pharma (France) (FR)
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Department of Health (TW)
- Stichting HIV Monitoring (NL)
- Utah Department of Health (US)
- Klinikum Bielefeld (DE)
- Institut Pierre Louis d‘Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (FR)
- UCB Pharma (United Kingdom) (GB)
- UCL Biomedical Research Centre (GB)
- Usibelli Coal Mine (United States) (US)
- The University of Texas Health Science Center (US)
- Universitetshospitalernes Center for Sundhedsfaglig Forskning (DK)
- University College London (GB)
- UCB Pharma (Belgium) (BE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Journal of Rheumatology
- Published
- 2026-07-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.2026-0104
- Primary Topic
- Spondyloarthritis Studies and Treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00