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Registry Data Shows Liver Risk With Avacopan
MedPage Today
Key Takeaways
- The C5a complement inhibitor avacopan (Tavneos) was FDA-approved in 2021 to treat ANCA-associated vasculitis, but questions have been raised about data integrity in the trials supporting that approval.
- As well, an FDA analysis earlier this year found dozens of cases of acute liver injury associated with the drug, including several fatalities.
- This new
How do rheumatologists & radiologists team up to tackle autoimmune ILD?
Hear from Drs. Elizabeth Volkmann & Robert Suh, and patient mentor Carolyn, on the diagnosis, monitoring & patient journey. Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
https://t.co/zrpMBDqWdg https://t.co/TR8lp4x9IP
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
e-cigarette use assoc w/ a 1.5-fold incr risk of RA & SLE. All of Us Research prg matched 15,909 e-cig users vs nonusers. 66 new RA or SLE among current e-cig (IR 1.43/1,000PYs) vs nonusers (0.93/1,000PYs; IRR 1.54); applies to past or current smokers https://t.co/xYRezwQFYC https://t.co/pnNANfui4Y
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
VA study of 4108 RA-ILD (2006-21). PRED use was 65-77%, A& 1st line Rx (MMF, AZA, RTX, CTX) incr after ILD, use was low (1.2-12%). MTX decr (47 to 30%), but LEF, TNFi, ABA incr. Predictors of ILD Rx: FVC, CCP+, ILD Dx after 2012. https://t.co/GT3Vwo11w1 https://t.co/KFDKsjkN0k
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
20 long-standing PsO pts (freq nai,scalp dz) (b/tsDMARD-naive) Rx w/ OL apremilast 30 bid x 6 mos. Enthesitis (MRI or HR-pQCT) stable, PsAMRIS stable; no new erosions, but PASI (11-->5) & TJC signif improved (3.2-->0.8) https://t.co/UjACvXyvKs https://t.co/xfQGcW0yz7
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
“Math has no opinion” - Mellody Hobson
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
In the JAMA review of shoulder pain, what is the recommended first-line treatment for most shoulder diagnoses?
Test your knowledge in this week's RheumIQ at https://t.co/TBlB4pmnKa https://t.co/mKClL2P0Tc
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Retrospective Medicare comparison 450 paired #PMR cohorts Rx w/ IL-6 inhib or csDMARDs. At 1 yr, IL-6i pts (vs csDMARD) had signif more GC D/C (adj HR 1.28) or minimal GC use (<3mg/d) (aHR 1.28). Hosp. infxn 2X higher in IL-6i (12.2 vs 5.7 per 100 PY) in year 1, but not year 2 https://t.co/G4eIusHDPa
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
True or False: Mycophenolate mofetil is teratogenic and should be avoided during pregnancy in patients with lupus nephritis.
Test your knowledge in this week's RheumIQ at https://t.co/TBlB4pmnKa https://t.co/1AMl8LtNZy
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Efgartigimod Efficacy in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy
Today Argenx announced the results of their Phase 3 "ALKIVIA" study; demonstrating efficacy and safety of subcutaneous efgartigimod for Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy (IIM, AKA inflammatory myositis). https://t.co/9tgAM8YVh1
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
SLE & Dermatomyositis rashes maybe classically red or violaceous in Whites,but different in people of color, where erythema often appears brown/violaceous, Gottron papules can be mistaken for "dry skin." This delays dx, especially in anti-MDA5+ RP-ILD, where rash may be the https://t.co/DIe2OJhZIc
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
In rheumatoid arthritis, which RA-specific factor is the strongest modifiable driver of venous thromboembolism risk?
Test your knowledge in this week's RheumIQ at https://t.co/TBlB4pmnKa. https://t.co/L69CPXWqfl
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Rheum Scholarship (8.21.2026)
Dr. Cush reviews the news and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com; talking about lumbar belts, scholarships and misdiagnosis.
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Misdiagnosis of Still's Disease
High fever, strange rashes, scary labs often lead to a consideration of Still's disease (AOSD or systemic JIA). Yet the dramatic onset of a systemic disorder may overlap with another, and possibly as rare, systemic disorder that should not be https://t.co/mCbNBAt9T5
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Rheumatoid Arthritis
RA confers a 50–100% excess risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with the general population, with adjusted hazard/odds ratios ranging from 1.3–2.2 across large cohort studies (Vojinovic, Askling, Antovic; https://t.co/IsS6vqo6vU
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Latest #s: EHR estimates from 6 large US medical systems, estimated prevalence of autoimmune Dz (AID) to be >15 million (4.6% US population); 34% have > 1 AID. Women have 2x risk. Sex ratio of 1.7:1 F:M. https://t.co/tfSCpRqHbY https://t.co/VckjIoGOaa
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
A Tribute to Thomas A. Medsger Jr., MD (1936–2026)
The rheumatology and scleroderma communities mourn the loss of Dr. Thomas A. Medsger Jr., who died August 15, 2026, in Pittsburgh, at age 89.
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JAMA: Review of Shoulder Pain
JAMA Internal Medicine (Haas et al, 2026) has published a clinical overview to the approach, diagnosis and management of Shoulder Pain.
https://t.co/xYSahFksx9 https://t.co/kTIml2mD6k
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Joint Pain Prevalence is not Declining
A current report from the national NHIS survey shows that over half of US adults diagnosed with arthritis reported moderate to severe joint pain.
https://t.co/zq7pGaZO72 https://t.co/kvco72v5IZ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
From the Blog
At first, it seemed similar to many other such sessions – a circle of folding chairs, a group of colleagues whose visages exuded understanding and acceptance – but this was special. I started the meeting…. “Hi, my name is Artie.”
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Podcasts
Label update: Structural damage progression in active PsA
Rheum Scholarship (8.21.2026)-
Doubting RS3PE (8.14.2026)
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Mentshlichkeit (8.7.2026)
Therapeutic Updates
Make Rheum for Rads: Autoimmune ILD Diagnosis, Monitoring, and the Patient Experience
Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Drs. Elizabeth Volkmann and Robert Suh explore the roles rheumatologists and radiologists play in diagnosing and monitoring autoimmune ILD and hear from a patient about her experience.
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A JAKi After TNFi Failure in RA: SELECT-SWITCH at Week 12
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
Dr. Christina Charles-Schoeman and Dr. Manish Jain are back to discuss treatment considerations after TNFi failure in RA. Join them as they review the latest data from SELECT-SWITCH, including post hoc results in primary and secondary nonresponders presented at EULAR 2026.
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Label update: Structural damage progression in active PsA
Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Medical Affairs
Listen to Dr. Catherine Bakewell’s review of clinical data from a recent label update.
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Poster Hall
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
