UCB SA said bimekizumab met its main goal in a phase 2b study for treating ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that mainly affects the spine.

The Be Agile study demonstrated that up to 47% of patients receiving bimekizumab achieved at least 40% improvement in disease symptoms compared to 13% receiving placebo after 12 weeks of treatment.

Bimekizumab is a monoclonal antibody that neutralizes IL-17A and IL-17F, two key proteins driving inflammatory processes resulting in pain. The drug achieved the clinical response threshold for a statistically significant greater number of patients than placebo across multiple doses.

The treatment was generally well-tolerated and no unexpected safety signals were observed.

The Belgium-based company is also studying bimekizumab for other diseases, including psoriasis, which results in the development of red patches on the skin as well as psoriatic arthritis, which affects people with psoriasis.

In July, the drug met its main goal in another phase 2b study to treat adult patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis.