Abbott received FDA approval for Humira for reducing signs and symptoms in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). AS is an autoimmune disease affecting the spine and large peripheral joints that causes inflammatory back pain and stiffness and also can be associated with other inflammatory diseases of the skin, eyes and intestines. In its severe form, AS can result in complete spinal fusion, causing extreme physical limitation and loss of quality of life.

Humira is also approved by the FDA to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and clinical trials are currently under way evaluating Humira in other autoimmune diseases. Humira received approval in the EU to treat patients with severe, active AS in June of this year.