The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday, August 16, approved AbbVie JAK1 inhibitor, Rinvoq (upadacitinib) for adults with  rheumatoid arthritis with moderately to severely active disease either not responding to, or intolerant of, methotrexate (MTX). 

A EULAR task force has reviewed the medical literature and developed evidence-based recommendations for the management of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in adults. They note that a high-risk antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) profile is associated with greater risk for thrombotic and obstetric APS.

The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) have jointly developed new classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); prompted by the need for criteria that were both highly sensitive and specific. The net result is improved sensitivity and specificity, but the use of positive ANA requirement along with a longer list of weighted criteria ensures its utility in SLE research (including early or latent SLE), but not clinical practice.

Gilead has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for filgotinib, an investigational, oral, selective JAK1 inhibitor for the treatment of adults who are living with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news from the past week on RheumNow.com, just in time for Christmas!

Lancet reports that the selective JAK1 inhibitor, upadacitinib, was effective when given to patients with active ankylosing spondylitis.

Belimumab has been studied in an active lupus nephritis, phase 3 trial call BLISS-LN and shown to be effective as measured by  trial of belimumab for the treatment of active lupus nephritis in adult patients.

The NEJM published favorable results of a phase 3 trial of the alpha interferon inhibitor, anifrolumab, showing it to be superior to placebo in active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients studied for 48 weeks.

French researchers have shown that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and inactive disease are less likely to flare while taking a 5 mg prednisone maintenance dose.