Recent News
Read ArticleDr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com. Highlights include referral rules, combination biiologics in psoriasis and don't use JAK inhibitors in pregnancy.
Diagnosing and Managing GCA and Takayasu’s Arteritis
Giant-cell arteritis and Takayasu’s arteritis are both large-vessel vasculitides, but each brings its own diagnostic and management challenges. Many of the difficulties overlap because they are rare, heterogeneous, and lack perfect diagnostic tests or specific biomarkers.
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Population survey of 21 000 US adults, 62.3% reported recent use of any OTC or prescription meds. Past-7-day prevalence of any OTC medication was equal to RX med use (46%) and increased use with age among both male and female individuals. https://t.co/xeWBQ0DnlB https://t.co/c8lqXOmAaT
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Early: BITE compassionate use CD19×CD3 T cell engager blinatumomab in 5 antisynthetase myositis & BCMA×CD3 teclistamab in 5 scleroderma pts, all Tx refractory. Both showed rapid clinical, serologic, histologic benefits, with cytokine release syndr as AE of concern https://t.co/CTppiWim0a
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
What did you miss at RheumNow Live 2026?
Our Poster Hall features new data across:
• Psoriatic Arthritis
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Lupus Nephritis
• Vasculitis
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica
• Axial Spondyloarthritis
From Phase III trials to real-world evidence, these https://t.co/vC0L04WXE3
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Together PSO Trial - Combination Ixekizumab and Tirzepatide
Today Lilly announced top line results of the TOGETHER-PsO open-label, Phase 3b trial demonstrating the significant benefits of concomitant ixekizumab (IXE: an IL-17A inhibitor) and tirzepatide (TIR: GLP-1agonist) over https://t.co/YWCjN2NyGM
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Can I Use JAK Inhibitors During Pregnancy?
Short answer: Not yet.
https://t.co/E9yrWR5zTG https://t.co/NLy6OibkYH
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Referrals - Orthopedics or Rheumatology?
“Orthopedics or rheumatology, who should I see?" A question, often asked with urgency, posed by those who genuinely don’t know who to see for a musculoskeletal (MSK) complaint. Inquiring patients, family, or other physicians may be one forum for such a request. Another occurs in the hospital and clinic when referrals for MSK issues can go in either direction. How would you guide such requests? And what would your answers be
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A Modern Approach to Osteoporosis Management
Currently, fewer than half of patients diagnosed with osteoporosis receive appropriate pharmacologic therapy. This treatment gap reflects several challenges in osteoporosis management, including limited disease awareness, barriers to medication access, clinician discomfort with therapy selection, and uncertainty regarding the optimal timing of treatment initiation.
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Paradoxical Reactions, Target Selection & the Future of Imaging in Psoriatic Care
From paradoxical psoriasis to IL-23 vs IL-17 to imaging in PsA, speakers in RheumNow Live's "Decisions in Psoriatic Arthritis" pod delivered valuable, clinically relevant education.
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What's New in Spondyloarthritis
Dr. Arthur Kavanaugh and Dr. Eric Ruderman gave an update on what's new in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) at the 2026 Rheumatology Winter Clinical Symposium (RWCS) in Maui, Hawaii.
https://t.co/sz4ezZr6li https://t.co/SYAVyECvJ2
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Prevention in Lupus and Therapeutic Evolution in Sjögren’s explores the proactive approach in autoimmune diseases, moving from theory to empirical evaluation. Recent discussions on incomplete lupus and the SMILE trial, along with advancements in Sjögren’s treatments, underscore https://t.co/d94GIeYxy0
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Together PSO Trial - Combination Ixekizumab and Tirzepatide
Today Lilly announced top line results of the TOGETHER-PsO open-label, Phase 3b trial demonstrating the significant benefits of concomitant ixekizumab (IXE: an IL-17A inhibitor) and tirzepatide (TIR: GLP-1agonist) over IXE alone.
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RT @richardPAConway
Target trial emulation from Dr Sparks group in RA-ILD. Abatatacept and JAKi seem to be better than RTX. TNFi and IL-6i appear similar to RTX. Thought provoking! #RNL26 https://t.co/vmg7ot9m8b
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
RT @richardPAConway
Data from Scott Matson's group showing that immunosuppressing RA-ILD (agnostic to agent) results in stabilisation of the previous downward trajectory of pulmonary function tests. #RNL26 https://t.co/MoYoM0K1cs
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Comorbidity & Health Management
https://t.co/cSwCEDKL28 https://t.co/WP7yIdWPVY
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Disease Modification, Disparities and the Next Therapeutic Frontier in Gout
Gout management has entered what Dr. Robert Terkeltaub, MD from UC San Diego described as its “disease-modifying era,” during his talk at RheumNow Live 2026 In a recent comprehensive review of the past, https://t.co/rel1BJm1gZ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Dermatomyositis outcomes w/ 2475 pts (claims) & 1196 pts (EHR). Half had myositis panels & 35% had + MSAbs. Steroid use common in 69% & 74%. HCQ, MTX, MMF. Outocmes (per 1000PYs) wereL all-cause hospitalisation 92, malignancy 15.3, ILD 6.4, and myocarditis 2.1 https://t.co/DJqKGNGX76
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
UK Biobank registry analyzed assoc. betw sleep duration, insomnia, & shift with osteoarthritis endpoints (KOA, HOA, TKA, THA) - all incr/highest in pts w/ <6 hrs nightly sleep. Night shift workers had 24% higher knee OA risk (HR=1.24) & 28% higher TKA risk (HR=1.28). https://t.co/UnxXH2I92R
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
J Rheum full read editorial on What HLA-B27 Can—and Cannot—Tell Us!. HLA-B27 also holds prognostic and theragnostic value, given its association with greater structural damage, higher inflammatory burden, and better response to tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 17 inhib. https://t.co/XHdJSEXmWm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
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From the Blog
Podcasts
Maui Potpourri (2.13.2026)-
ANA Pollution (2.06.2026)
DERM on RheumNow PODCAST (January 2026)-
RheumNow Live Preview (1.30.2026)
Therapeutic Updates
The Impact of Obesity on Psoriatic Arthritis
Sponsored by Lilly Medical Affairs
Image alt text: A person indoors raises one arm in a flexed pose while holding the elbow with the opposite hand.
Is obesity common in your patients with PsA? Learn more about the intersection of disease pathogenesis between PsA and obesity and how weight intervention can affect PsA outcomes.
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Poster Hall
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
