Results : This systematic review will provide a detailed summary of present evidence related to the efficacy and safety  of etoricoxib for patients with AS .
Conclusion : The results of this study may provide management guidance for AS treated by etoricoxib .
Background : Previous clinical trials have reported that etoricoxib has been utilized to treat ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) effectively .
However , no study systematic ally investigated the efficacy and safety of etoricoxib for patients with AS .
In this systematic review , we will assess the efficacy and safety of etoricoxib for AS .
Etoricoxib in ankylosing spondylitis: is there a role for active patients refractory to traditional NSAIDs?
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy of etoricoxib in patients with axial ankylosing spondyloarthritis ( AS ) refractory to traditional NSAIDs . METHODS This was an open label , multicentric , r and omised , prospect i ve ( 4 weeks with and open extension to 6 months ) , non-controlled study . Consecutive patients with axial AS refractory to traditional NSAID eligible for anti-TNF-α therapy were selected . The primary outcomes were the rate of patients with good clinical response ( not eligible for anti-TNF-α therapy after etoricoxib ) and the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society response criteria for biologic therapies ( ASASBIO ) response at 4 weeks . Secondary outcomes included : ASAS20 and 40 responses , ASDAS-CRP response , BASDAI , BASFI , back and night back pain , global patient and physician assessment of the disease , and biologic parameters like C-reactive protein ( CRP ) at 2 , 4 weeks and 6 months . RESULTS A total of 57 axial AS patients were recruited , 46 men , with mean age of 43 years . After 4 weeks of treatment , 26 patients ( 46 % ) achieved a good clinical response and 11 ( 20 % ) an ASASBIO response . These results at 24 weeks were 19 ( 33 % ) and 13 ( 23 % ) respectively . All individual clinical variables improved significantly after 4 weeks of treatment . CRP serum levels decreased after 4 weeks but reached no statistical significance , although 30 % of patients showed a normalisation of CRP . CONCLUSIONS Etoricoxib provided a clear clinical improvement in around a third of patients with axial AS refractory to traditional NSAIDs . Special care should be required when deciding to start anti-TNF-α therapy ; it seems reasonable to keep in mind these results of etoricoxib treatment
Results : This systematic review will provide a detailed summary of present evidence related to the efficacy and safety  of etoricoxib for patients with AS .
Conclusion : The results of this study may provide management guidance for AS treated by etoricoxib .
Background : Previous clinical trials have reported that etoricoxib has been utilized to treat ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) effectively .
However , no study systematic ally investigated the efficacy and safety of etoricoxib for patients with AS .
In this systematic review , we will assess the efficacy and safety of etoricoxib for AS .