Recent News
BMJ has published a clinical practice guideline resulting from the work of an international, multidisciplinary panel addressing chronic spine pain (≥3 months duration) not associated with cancer or inflammatory arthropathy. This is a chronic (not acute) spine pain guideline.Read Article
What happens in pre-RA when you stop #abatacept after 1 yr Rx
At 6 yrs approx 60% on #Placebo
V
50% who initially got #ABA
Prolonged damped effect of development of #RA
NNT for 1 yr is ~10 with a range as low as 6
#EULAR2025 @RheumNow @eular_org
Abst#OP0004 https://t.co/eCXEWQhvWM
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Early intensive therapy in PsA.
STAMP RCT in early PsA:
•ACR50 at 3mo: 43% (early secukinumab) vs 22% (SoC)
•MDA at 3mo: 48% vs 25%
•PASI90 at 3mo: 60% vs 22%
By 12months: outcomes similar, but early secukinumab led to faster control and fewer therapy escalations. https://t.co/Mn0uW3cckf
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
POSTER HALL PRESENTATION: Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact.
🔍Real-world outcomes in patients with RA remaining on first-line TNFi
📽️See Dr. Charles-Schoeman discuss subsequent outcomes in patients who did or did not achieve response at 3 or 6 months https://t.co/f4XLrrdich
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
ICYMI: SLE: advances to achieve deep B-cell depletion
The race is on for the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based therapy to be approved for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. Its main principle is to induce deep B-cell depletion, with the hope to reset the B-cell aberrant immunity for a sustained clinical remission. At EULAR 2025 in Barcelona, several advances of CAR-based therapies will be presented.
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ICYMI: Should Lupus Nephritis Receive PJP Prophylaxis?
A current review article suggests that the need for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) prophylaxis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis will need to be individualized based on therapies and risk factors.
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ICYMI: Clinical and Therapeutic Challenges in Connective Tissue Disease and ILD
CTDs and ILD represent a challenging intersection of systemic autoimmunity and progressive respiratory impairment. Research presented at EULAR 2025 continues to highlight the importance of CTD-ILD https://t.co/4UQ7Kgef4K
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
ICYMI: ACP: Best Practice Advice on Cannabis or Cannabinoids Use for Chronic Noncancer Pain
The American College of Physicians published a best practice advisory on cannabis or cannabinoids in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
https://t.co/mQI2g4W4hX https://t.co/BhfQtI792M
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
ICYMI: Channeling Bias and Cancer Risk with Biologic or Targeted Synthetic DMARDs
A retrospective US administrative claims cohort study of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients on tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis), non-TNFi biologics, or Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) https://t.co/fYwvog09R5
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Can IL-17F signalling be modulated by treatment with TNFi?
In PsA pts non responders to previous TNFi, there was increased expression of IL17F-related gene signature. Suggesting a potential mechanism for the consistent level of clinical response observed with BKZ.
Abstract https://t.co/6r59MWZAE1
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
ICYMI: Clinical and Therapeutic Challenges in Connective Tissue Disease and ILD
Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) represent a challenging intersection of systemic autoimmunity and progressive respiratory impairment. Research presented at EULAR 2025 continues to highlight the importance of CTD-ILD and the evolving landscape of therapeutic options for patients with autoimmune ILDs.
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ICYMI: Channeling Bias and Cancer Risk with Biologic or Targeted Synthetic DMARDs
A retrospective US administrative claims cohort study of RA patients on tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis), non-TNFi biologics, or Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) found a statistically significantly higher risk of incident cancer in patients receiving rituximab, abatacept, or JAKis (compared with TNFis).
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ICYMI: ACP: Best Practice Advice on Cannabis or Cannabinoids Use for Chronic Noncancer Pain
The American College of Physicians published a best practice advisory on cannabis or cannabinoids in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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"Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think." - A. Einstein
"Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think." - Malcolm X
Education is knowing what to do when you dont know what to do https://t.co/5CF4g78OEH
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Secukinumab fails in GCA phase 3 RCT. Novartis announced top-line results from the GCAptAIN study evaluating secukinumab in adults with newly diagnosed or relapsing GCA. In a steroid taper RCT, the endpoint was sustained remission at Wk 52 compared to placebo https://t.co/JuMDPvznCn
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Case series of 22 PsA pts treats w/ combination bioDMARDs & JAKi,TYK2i or APR
IL17i + JAKi 10.5 PY = 1 mild infectious stomatitis
IL23i + JAKi 3.7 PY = no AE
IL-17i + TYK2i 8.5 PY = 2 mild upper respiratory infections
IL-23i + TYK2i 8.3 PY = 2 mild URIs, 1 folliculitis
TNFi + https://t.co/hxhTxmJpbN
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
First FcRn inhibitor in #IIM: In #ALKIVIA, SC efgartigimod PH20 improved TIS vs placebo at 24wks (50.45 vs 35.65, p=0.0004), with faster time to TIS≥20 (30 vs 71.5d) & TIS≥40 (113d vs NE). More major responders too (TIS>60: 34% vs 9.5%).
#EULAR2025 #OP0002 https://t.co/ulxtL1NX2Y
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
In >228k CTD patients across France, ILD increased mortality risk across all CTDs. Proportion of incident CTD with ILD highest in IIM (37%). Up to 34% of CTD-ILD pts had progressive pulm fibrosis. Supports earlier ILD screening & vigilance in CTDs.
@RheumNow
#EULAR2025 #OP0033 https://t.co/nEiTWQEqsP
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
If you successfully taper off DMARDs in RA patients in remission, do you risk bringing new joints in the mix?
Leiden post-hoc trial: these patients don’t do worse than those who never get off drug.
Drug-free remission tricky but new joints not a worry. #EULAR2025 @RheumNow https://t.co/bwXgrB875k
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Clinical determinants of multiple drug failure in D2T RA
2000+ RA cohort 250+ refractory
-Low financial status
-Cancer Hx
-CV comorbidities
-Chronic use of NSAID or GCs
Protective: Regular participation in leisure activities
#POS0030 @RheumNow #EULAR2025 https://t.co/mdePGkHU82
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
ICYMI: Introducing Polyrefractory RA: A New Frontier in Difficult-to-Treat RA
At a EULAR 2025 session titled “What makes ‘Difficult-to-treat RA’ so difficult to treat? And what can we do?”, Drs. Paula David and Dennis McGonagle introduced the emerging concept of polyrefractory https://t.co/Qy9fy3GWKm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
From the blog
Podcasts
PCR- Prevalence, Cost, & Risk (6.27.2025)
EULAR 2025 Rheumatology RoundUp Hosted by Dr. John J. Cush and Dr. Arthur Kavanaugh
EULAR 2025 - Day 9 podcast-
Trends and Innovations from Barcelona (6.2
Therapeutic Updates
GCA: Case by Case
Sponsored by Novartis US Medical Affairs
Dive into 4 hypothetical case studies that reveal the diverse and often complex presentations of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Each case is guided by expert commentary from Dr Michael Putman, where he offers practical insights and clinical pearls to enhance your therapeutic strategies for this multifaceted condition.
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Poster Hall
