1. Must be of Chinese ancestry and living in China.
2. Diagnosis of AS, as defined by Modified New York Criteria for Ankylosing Spondylitis.
3. Active AS at time of enrollment, defined by average of visual analog scale (VAS)
values for duration and intensity of morning stiffness 30 and two of the following:
VAS for patient global assessment 30; average of VAS for nocturnal and total pain 30;
BASFI greater than or equal to 30 (all scores on a scale of 0 to 100).
1. Complete ankylosis (fusion) of spine.
2. Previous treatment with etanercept, antibody to Tumor Necrosis Factor a (TNFa), or
other TNFa inhibitors or other biologic agents.
3. Use of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) other than hydroxychloroquine,
sulphasalazine, and methotrexate within 4 weeks of baseline. Subjects treated with
hydroxychloroquine, sulphasalazine, and methotrexate may continue these drugs during
this study but doses must be held stable for 4 weeks before baseline examination and
for the duration of the study.