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IL-23 Blockade Goes Oral
A new player is entering the IL-23 arena — and it’s a tablet! Icotrokinra (ICO), a first-in-class peptide that binds and blocks the interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R), is showing encouraging efficacy and safety across a range of psoriasis (PSO) and psoriatic disease (PsD) studies.
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Sjogren’s disease: two drugs with positive trials
After several failures of therapies in Phase 3 trials of Sjogren’s disease (SjD) over many years, all hope is not lost!
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Beyond the Breakthrough: Equity and Access in CAR-T Cell Therapy for RA
At ACR Convergence 2025, abstract 1039 entitled, “Global Cost-Effectiveness and Equity in CAR-T Cell Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis” adds a critical dimension to the growing enthusiasm around cellular therapies in autoimmune disease.
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Next Generation T-Cell Engager: The Future
Dr. Alfred Kim reviews abstract 0001 presented at #ACR25.
https://t.co/vmZYfmKCm8 https://t.co/PkLOs9lZ8l
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Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
RheumNow’s expanded coverage of the #ACR25 meeting is sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, and UCB. All coverage content is selected by RheumNow and its faculty.
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
CAR-T Cell Therapies Show Promise for Autoimmune Disease
Two pioneering studies presented at #ACR25 spotlight the potential of CAR-T cell therapies to transform treatment for SLE and other autoimmune diseases. These early findings suggest a new frontier in immune modulation and https://t.co/KdNWmVc4Qc
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Meta analysis evaluating age specific incidence across multiple registries (n=882)
Incidence 9.3 for women & 1.4 for men per 100k person-years
1. Wider distribution than I would have guessed
2. Much less age-dependency for men
@RheumNow #ACR25 Abstr#29W06 https://t.co/46dNGBZ45V
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Mike Putman EBRheum ( View Tweet)
Phase 1 study of CAR-Treg in difficult to treat RA
4/6 pts had 50% reduction in TJC/SJC, no CYC/fludrabine required & good prelim safety data
CAR-T remains exciting, but less of the "totally magical everyone cured" stuff we saw w/initial CAR-T reports
@RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/kjBIkLCYpF
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Mike Putman EBRheum ( View Tweet)
"Achieving good control of joint disease activity is probably the key objective of treatment of patients with RA-ILD"
- Gregory McDermott (Epi Abstracts, #2662)
Totally agree with this! SARD guidelines recommendingn drugs with mediocre activity in RA was surprising
@RheumNow
Mike Putman EBRheum ( View Tweet)
Excited about this target trial emulation in RA-ILD
Compared to RTX, NO significant difference in hospitalization/transplant/death for JAK, ABA, IL6 or TNF
Trends toward ABA and JAK looking better than RTX
Need trials for sure, but I like this project a lot
@RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/FQcphRvyHK
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Mike Putman EBRheum ( View Tweet)
In AxSpA, an 8-week personalized exercise program improved trunk strength (+14.1%), mobility (+14.9%), and cardiorespiratory fitness ( increased oxygen pulse, ventilatory efficiency, anaerobic threshold). BASDAI and chest expansion also improved. Supports tailored rehab based on https://t.co/jawosa2AJK
Antoni Chan MD (Prof) synovialjoints ( View Tweet)
#Ianalumab decreases disease activity in active #Sjögren's #disease
2 phase3 DB #RCT added to #SoC in primary #SjD
>90% #Ro+
+#ESSDAI in monthly sc dosing vs placebo,
Many 2ndary outcomes improved, safe
LB#24 #ACR25 @ACRheum @RheumNow
#ACRBest https://t.co/Z4ooUg7Nos
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Janet Pope Janetbirdope ( View Tweet)
In a PsA cohort (n=1291), higher BMI was independently linked to lower odds of achieving MDA—especially in TNFi-treated patients. Impact was strongest in pain, skin, enthesitis, and PRO domains, not swollen joints. Each unit increase in BMI reduced MDA odds by 4–7%. Highlights https://t.co/TxO3HP51uk
Antoni Chan MD (Prof) synovialjoints ( View Tweet)
#2686 Using HR-pQCT, researchers tracked bone changes in RA & PsA. Seropositive RA showed worst bone density & microstructure, worsening with disease activity. TNFi, RTX & BARI improved MCP bone density, highlighting the impact of inflammation and treatment. @RheumNow #ACR25
Mrinalini Dey DrMiniDey ( View Tweet)
Will CAR-Treg Rx be helpful in active #refractory #rheumatoid #arthritis?
Early data n=6 treated w low dose (3 per arm), ongoing and doses will escalate
Improvemt in #clinical #disease #activity
less inflammation on #synovial #biopsies 3 pts
#LB23 #ACR25 @RheumNow @ACRheum https://t.co/PkhsvztVjx
Janet Pope Janetbirdope ( View Tweet)
GLP-1 RA vs DPP4i & risk of rheumatic disease: propensity score matched cohort study using TriNetX
🔹 Lower incidence of OA, RA & gout w/ GLP-1 RA
🔹 No significant differences for PsA, SSc, axSpA, or SLE
@RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/BIVw3ajrFZ
Akhil Sood MD, MS AkhilSoodMD ( View Tweet)
#2662
Using Medicare data to emulate real-world RA-ILD trials, investigators compared RTX vs ABA, TOC, JAKi & TNFi
No sig differences in mortality, resp, hospitalisation or lung transplant across groups, suggesting other b/tsDMARDs may be as safe as RTX for RAILD
@RheumNow #ACR25
Mrinalini Dey DrMiniDey ( View Tweet)
Abstract 2694: Neutrophil:Lymphocyte ratio (NLR)- a practical step towards clinical monitoring of interferon?
Log₂NLR significantly correlated with all three IFN signatures across patients with SLE, systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and myositis
@RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/ujaOQGvAUV
Akhil Sood MD, MS AkhilSoodMD ( View Tweet)
#Deucravacitinib #Tyk2i in active #PsA to 52weeks
#PBO was crossed over at 16weeks
Ongoing improvement for high bar outcomes ex % in #minimal #disease #activity #MDA
#Xray #progression was reduced with real data (not imputed)
#ACR2025 @RheumNow @ACRheum https://t.co/kAMym2x8HQ
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Janet Pope Janetbirdope ( View Tweet)
