Study of Efficacy and Safety of Secukinumab in Patients With Non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

Patients were randomized to one of three treatment groups (1:1:1) in the core phase: * Secukinumab 150 mg Load: secukinumab 150 mg (1 mL, 150 mg/mL) s.c. pre-filled syringe (PFS) at baseline, Weeks 1, 2, and 3, followed by administration every four weeks starting at Week 4 * Secukinumab 150 mg No Load: secukinumab 150 mg (1 mL, 150 mg/mL) s.c. PFS at baseline, placebo at Weeks 1, 2, and 3, followed by secukinumab 150 mg PFS administration every four weeks starting at Week 4 * Placebo: placebo (1 mL) s.c. PFS at baseline, Weeks 1, 2, 3, followed by administration every four weeks starting at Week 4. All patients received secukinumab 150 mg as open-label treatment from Week 52 up to Week 100, unless they had discontinued study treatment. At Week 104, all patients who finished the core phase according to the protocol were asked to continue in an optional, exploratory extension phase. Patients who achieved ASAS20 response at Week 104 (Core Phase Responders) were randomized to the following treatment groups (blinded) in the extension phase: * Core Phase Responder 150 mg: secukinumab 150 mg (1 mL, 150 mg/mL) s.c. PFS and placebo (1 mL) s.c. PFS every four weeks; * Core Phase Responder 300 mg: 2 injections with secukinumab 150 mg (1 mL, 150 mg/mL) s.c. PFS every four weeks. Core Phase Non-Responders (not achieving ASAS20 at Week 104) were escalated to secukinumab 300 mg in an open-label manner. \- Core Phase Non-Responder 300 mg: 2 injections with secukinumab 150 mg (1 mL, 150 mg/mL) s.c. PFS every four weeks open-label. Starting from Week 156 onward, a patient could switch to secukinumab 300 mg open-label based on the clinical judgment of disease activity by the investigator.