Golimumab (MK-8259 / SCH900259) Treatment Withdrawal in Participants With Non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis (GO-BACK) (MK-8259-038)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Is not of reproductive potential, or is of reproductive potential and agrees to avoidbecoming pregnant or impregnating a partner while receiving trial medication or within 6 months after the last dose of trial medication
• Has chronic back pain of ≥3 months duration by history
• Has physician-diagnosed active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA)with disease duration <= 5 years
• Meets one of the following criteria:

1. Has active inflammation on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) highly suggestive ofsacroiliitis associated with spondyloarthropathy and 1 or more of the followingspondyloarthritis (SpA) characteristics:

• Inflammatory back pain
• Arthritis (physician-diagnosed)
• Enthesitis (heel) physician-diagnosed (spontaneous pain or tenderness atexamination of the site of the insertion of the Achilles tendon or plantarfascia)
• Dactylitis (physician-diagnosed)
• Psoriasis (physician-diagnosed)
• History of physician-diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• History of uveitis confirmed by an ophthalmologist
• Good response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)
• Family history of SpA (presence of ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, acuteuveitis, reactive arthritis, or IBD)
• Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP)
• Human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27)+ gene OR

2. Has a HLA-B27+ gene and 2 or more of the following SpA characteristics:

• Inflammatory back pain
• Arthritis (physician-diagnosed)
• Enthesitis (heel) physician-diagnosed (spontaneous pain or tenderness atexamination of the site of the insertion of the Achilles tendon or plantarfascia)
• Dactylitis (physician-diagnosed)
• Psoriasis (physician-diagnosed)
• History of physician-diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• History of uveitis confirmed by an ophthalmologist
• Good response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)
• Family history of SpA (presence of ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, acuteuveitis, reactive arthritis, or IBD)
• Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP)
• Has elevated CRP at Screening or evidence of active inflammation in the sacroiliacjoints on MRI
• Has an Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) >= 2.1 at Screening
• Shows high disease activity at Screening and Baseline of both a Total Back Pain scoreof ≥4 and a Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score of >= 4
• Has an acceptable history of NSAID use
• Has no history of untreated latent or active tuberculosis (TB) prior to Screening
• Has had no recent close contact with a person with active TB or, if there has beensuch contact, will undergo additional evaluations and receive appropriate treatmentfor latent TB
• Agrees to undergo screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and demonstrates negativeresults for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Has bilateral sacroiliitis Grade 2 or unilateral sacroiliitis Grade 3 or Grade 4 onconventional x-rays
• Is a nursing or pregnant female, or intends to become pregnant within 6 months afterreceiving trial medication
• Intends to donate eggs (female participants) or sperm (male participants) whilereceiving trial medication or within 6 months after trial medication
• Has any clinically significant condition or situation that would interfere with thetrial evaluations or participation in the trial
• Has ever received any cytotoxic drugs, including chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide,nitrogen mustard, or other alkylating agents
• Has received any treatment listed below more recently than the indicated off-drugperiod prior to Screening
• • Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (30 days off drug)
• • Live vaccinations (3 months off drug)
• • Investigational medications (30 days or 5 half-lives off drug, whichever islonger)
• • Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination (12 months off drug)
• Has any systemic inflammatory condition, including psoriatic arthritis, active Lymedisease, systemic lupus erythematosus, infectious arthritis, vasculitis, parvovirusinfection, rheumatoid arthritis, active uveitis, or active IBD
• Has a history of latent or active granulomatous infection prior to Screening
• Had a nontuberculous mycobacterial infection or opportunistic infection within 6months prior to Screening
• Has a history of an infected joint prosthesis, or has received antibiotics for asuspected infection of a joint prosthesis, if that prosthesis has not been removed orreplaced
• Had a serious infection, has been hospitalized for an infection, or has been treatedwith IV antibiotics for an infection within 2 months prior to Baseline
• Had a history of, or ongoing, chronic or recurrent infectious disease
• Is known to be infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or seropositive forhepatitis C virus (HCV)
• Has had a chest x-ray within 2 months prior to Screening that shows an abnormalitysuggestive of a current active infection or malignancy
• Has a history of lymphoproliferative disease
• Has had a malignancy within 5 years before screening (exceptions are squamous andbasal cell carcinomas of the skin and carcinoma in situ of cervix that has beensurgically cured)
• Has a history of known demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis or opticneuritis
• Has a history of or concurrent congestive heart failure of any grade
• Has a transplanted organ (with the exception of a corneal transplant performed >= 3months prior to baseline)
• Has current signs or symptoms of significant medical illness which could interferewith the trial, or require treatment that might interfere with the trial
• Is a user of recreational or illicit drugs or has or had a substance abuse (drug oralcohol) problem within the previous 2 years