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UCB : FASTRAX working session highlights progress in axSpA diagnosis
UCB : FASTRAX working session highlights progress in axSpA
About this update from Ucb S.a.
A collaborative working session in London compares country-specific approaches to reducing diagnostic delays in axial spondyloarthritis On June 2, healthcare professionals from across Europe and North America gathered in London for a FASTRAX healthcare professional collaborative working session, ahead of the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) congress. FASTRAX is a program designed to address the critical issue of delayed diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), a type of chronic inflammatory arthritis in the lower back. The session brought together clinicians, researchers and the UCB Digital Care Transformation (DCTx) teams to share real-world implementation experiences from FASTRAX initiatives across Canada, France and the United Kingdom. Discussions focused on how earlier identification and coordinated care pathways can improve outcomes for people living with axSpA. The session centered on practical insights while also highlighting opportunities for cross-country collaboration and scientific exchange. Understanding the care coordination challenge Axial spondyloarthritis is often associated with significant diagnostic delays.i Evidence presented during the session showed that patients may wait for years between early symptoms and a formal diagnosis, during which time disease burden can increase and opportunities for earlier care and support may be missed. Retrospective primary care data presented during the session showed that, in France, there is an average delay of 6.3 years between the earliest documented back pain in primary care and diagnosis, with the number of symptoms and comorbidities increasing over that period.ii This reflects broader system-level barriers. Clinicians discussed how overlapping symptoms with common conditions such as mechanical back pain, variable awareness in primary care and fragmented referral pathways can delay access to diagnostic and rheumatology services These challenges reflect DCTx's broader focus on strengthening identification and referral pathways, so patients reach specialist care more efficiently in real-world settings. FASTRAX in practice: different approaches, shared objectives Across countries, FASTRAX initiatives are designed to address barriers in practical and locally relevant ways, while sharing the same objective: to enable earlier recognition of disease and improve how patien...