UCB’s EULAR 2026 data show that early inflammation control with BIMZELX® (bimekizumab) delivers sustained improvements in psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis, supporting long‑term efficacy, potential disease modification, and consistent safety.
Written By: Farha Farheen, PharmD
Reviewed By: Pharmacally Editorial Team
At the 2026 EULAR Annual Meeting, UCB presented three-year data from the Phase 3 BE OPTIMAL (NCT03895203) and BE COMPLETE trials (NCT03896581) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and the BE MOBILE 1 (NCT03928704) and BE MOBILE 2 trials (NCT03928743) in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), along with their long-term extension studies (NCT04009499, NCT04436640), showing that early achievement of stringent treatment targets with BIMZELX® (bimekizumab) was strongly associated with superior long-term outcomes.
In PsA, 46–48% of patients achieved a zero swollen joint count and 43–45% reached ACR50 by Week 16. Among these early responders, 80.1% reported at least 50% pain reduction and 63.3% experienced clinically meaningful improvements in fatigue after three years.
In axSpA, 45.4% achieved low disease activity (ASDAS LDA) by Week 16, with 88% maintaining mild pain and 87.2% reporting mild fatigue at Year 3.
MRI Remission and Structural Outcomes
Early MRI remission emerged as a predictor of sustained benefit. By Week 16, remission was achieved in 65% of patients with non-radiographic axSpA and 77.8% with radiographic axSpA. These responses translated into durable reductions in spinal pain and fatigue. Two-year MRI data from the BE MOBILE 1 sub-study demonstrated a 6.2-point reduction in SPARCC SIJ scores, with 50.9% of patients achieving remission.
Structural improvements included reduced erosions and increased tissue repair markers such as backfill and fat lesions. Notably, no cases of ankylosis were observed during the study period, supporting the potential of bimekizumab to limit structural progression.
Evidence of Disease Modification
Long-term analyses provided additional evidence supporting the potential disease-modifying effects of bimekizumab. In the BE OPTIMAL and BE VITAL trials (NCT04009499), 73.7% of biologic-naïve PsA patients showed radiographic progression below the smallest detectable change threshold, while 58.2% showed no radiographic progression over three years.
Benefits were most pronounced in younger patients, those with shorter disease duration, and those with fewer swollen joints at baseline.
Professor Xenofon Baraliakos highlighted sustained reductions in spinal and sacroiliac joint inflammation, while UCB Chief Medical Officer Donatello Crocetta emphasized that earlier intervention may optimize outcomes and reduce the burden of chronic inflammatory disease.
Consistent Safety Profile
Across pooled three-year analyses, BIMZELX® maintained a favorable safety profile. Rates of uveitis were low, occurring in 3.9% of axSpA patients (EAIR 1.2 per 100 patient-years) and 0.3% of PsA patients (EAIR 0.1 per 100 patient-years), with all cases mild to moderate. No new safety signals emerged during long-term follow-up.
Broad Research Portfolio
UCB presented 27 abstracts across five immunology therapeutic areas at EULAR 2026, underscoring the breadth of its pipeline. Collectively, the findings support the long-term efficacy, potential disease-modifying benefits, and consistent safety of bimekizumab in PsA and axSpA. While further long-term evaluation is warranted, dual IL-17A and IL-17F inhibition continues to show promise in improving outcomes and potentially altering disease trajectory.
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About the Writer
Farha Farheen, PharmD (LinkedIn) is a pharmacy professional with a strong interest in pharmacovigilance and clinical research. She has completed her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) along with her internship as a Clinical Pharmacist. She has hands-on experience in adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting, safety data documentation, and pharmacovigilance workflows, and is proficient in using VigiFlow. She is also a patent holder for an antibacterial formulation enriched with bioactive substances, granted by the German Patent and Trademark Office.