All News

Choices

SLE Treatment Landscape: Abundance or Overload?

Janet Pope, MD, MPH, FRCPC

Imagine a world where the multiple drugs in Phase 2 and 3 trials actually get approved, and we get access to them? I know you may be thinking that I am overly optimistic, but there are so many drugs in development in lupus that we may have true difficulty choosing what to use.

Read Article
RheumNow Podcast square

Diagnosing Neuropsychiatric SLE (5.23.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from RheumNow.com - including views on the vagus nerve, NPSLE and CAR-T mania.

Read Article
RheumNow Podcast square

Vitamin D Headlines (5.9.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and lupus highlights from the past week on RheumNow.com. Triple positivity, the gut and CRPS, and hope for better outcomes with Vitamin D therapy. 

Read Article
RheumNow Podcast square

Keys to Mastery (5.2.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, articles and drug approvals from the past week on RheumNow.com. This podcast marks the beginning of our Lupus Campaign called "Lupus Unlocked: Keys to Mastery". This month's campaign on Lupus is sponsored by Aurinia.

Read Article
pregnancy.sperm_.jpg

EULAR Guidelines on Reproductive Health

MedPage Today

Rheumatology patients considering or actually having babies can safely take most of the medications currently used to treat their conditions, according to an updated guideline from the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR).

Read Article
FDA%20approved.jpg (keep)

FDA Approves Rinvoq for Giant Cell Arteritis

Jack Cush, MD

Based on the results of the SELECT-GCA study, the US FDA has approved upadacitinib (Rinvoq or UPA) for the treatment of adults with giant cell arteritis (GCA), also known as temporal arteritis. This is the 9th FDA approved indication for upadacitinib in the U.S. for use in rheumatology, gastroenterology, and dermatology.

Read Article
temperature.fever_.weather.jpg

2024 Management of Familial Mediterranean Fever Recommendations

Jack Cush, MD

A EULAR/PReS combined task force has developed recommendations for the management of Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), the most common monogenic autoinflammatory disease worldwide. These evidence-based recommendations update the 2016 recommendations developed for rheumatologists and other HCPs who care for FMF patients.

Read Article
Single-centre retrospec study of 39 Juvenile Dermatomyositis pts Rx w/ JAKi. Partial/complete Clin inactive Dz achieved in 32/39 w/in 6 months w/ steroid reduction and W/D of other DMARDs. Only TIF1γ) Ab (+) was assoc w/ nonresponse to JAKi (P < 0.001). 5 w/ H. Zoster

Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

Systematic review of JAK inhibitor use in systemic sclerosis - 18 articles/87 SSc pts (80%F; ages 13–78 yrs). JAKi (83% tofa) mostly used for ILD & Skin Dz (45%) or GI+Skin Dz (39%). 87.5% improved, w/ 6% relapsed. Adverse events in 50% (20% infx). We need RCTs! This could be a https://t.co/VXFuHGpDjB
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Single-centre retrospec study of 39 Juvenile Dermatomyositis pts Rx w/ JAKi. Partial/complete Clin inactive Dz achieved in 32/39 w/in 6 months w/ steroid reduction and W/D of other DMARDs. Only TIF1γ) Ab (+) was assoc w/ nonresponse to JAKi (P < 0.001). 5 w/ H. Zoster

Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

JAK inhibitors reduce inflammation while potentially exacerbating the propagation viral infections. They suppress transcription of IFN-stimulated genes in non-infected cells (usually triggered by type I IFNs produced by infected cells) Thus facilitating viral propagation https://t.co/zOOTf7e1Hj
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
A retrospective VEXAS cohort study of 59 pts receiving 71 targeted Rx - 98%male, mean 71 yrs & 46% had myelodysplastic syndr. Treatments included tocilizumab(19), anakinra (13), azacitidine(13), baricitinib (11), & pred only (10). Best responses w/ azacitidine & tocilizumab https://t.co/jqDmKinPDt
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
JAK inhibitors reduce inflammation while potentially exacerbating the propagation viral infections. They suppress transcription of IFN-stimulated genes in non-infected cells (usually triggered by type I IFNs produced by infected cells) Thus facilitating viral propagation https://t.co/BDzz8pHKxL
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
A retrospective VEXAS cohort study of 59 pts receiving 71 targeted Rx - 98%male, mean 71 yrs & 46% had myelodysplastic syndr. Treatments included tocilizumab(19), anakinra (13), azacitidine(13), baricitinib (11), & pred only (10). Best responses w/ azacitidine & tocilizumab https://t.co/fBdfrrZt1M
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Single-centre retrospective study, 27 children with refractory juvenile dermatomyositis (jDM) Rx with baricitinib (F/U of 25 mos)-- 77% (21/27) improved skin rashes (62% complete resolution) & Dz activity improved (6 vs 0.8, p<0.01) 70% (19/27) achieved inactive disease https://t.co/rRlhoY9O4q
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
RA nodules respond to JAKi. Small case series of 7 established/refractory moderate-to-severe#RA pts w/ rheumatoid nodules who were treated w/ JAKi (tofacitinib, upadacitinib)-- 5/7 had complete resolution & 1 reduced nodules size (w/in 3-12 mos) on JAKi therapy. https://t.co/oQWHMBVQEi
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
single-centre study of 469 consecutive RA pts - 15 had VTE (3%). Strongest risk factor of VTE was the history of previous VTE (OR 44.7), recent hospitalisation (OR 6.82), diabetes (OR 11.23), and JAKi (OR 5.54) (Other studies show inflammation incr VTE risk) https://t.co/JfaBtfvujU
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
RA nodules respond to JAKi. Small case series of 7 established/refractory moderate-to-severe#RA pts w/ rheumatoid nodules who were treated w/ JAKi (tofacitinib, upadacitinib)-- 5/7 had complete resolution & 1 reduced nodules size (w/in 3-12 mos) on JAKi therapy. https://t.co/YGK1EGiJiJ
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
single-centre study of 469 consecutive RA pts - 15 had VTE (3%). Strongest risk factor of VTE was the history of previous VTE (OR 44.7), recent hospitalisation (OR 6.82), diabetes (OR 11.23), and JAKi (OR 5.54) (Other studies show inflammation incr VTE risk) https://t.co/pBJDhXOgut
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Pairwise Network Metanalysis suggests that JAKi use may NOT be assoc w/ Gastrointestinal perforation (GIP), as suggested by the PI. 23 RCTs, (20,023 pts) followed for 24 wks. Incidence of JAKi GIP=0.19%. compared to csDMARDs this was not signif increased (RR 1.02; CI: 0.41-2.56). https://t.co/lLD9Tj6a9F
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
How well do you know this week's rheumatology news?
Take the rheumIQ quiz
Take the RheumIQ Quiz

×