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The 2025 Rheumatology Year in Review
The year 2025 presented numerous advances in rheumatology and related inflammatory and autoimmune disorders ranging from several new groundbreaking FDA approvals/indications, drug developments, game-changing guidelines and practices that will impact patient care for rheumatic diseases.
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Pre-ACR25 (10.24.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and info reports the day before ACR 2025
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Did Hydroxychloroquine Reduce COVID-19 Mortality?
A multicenter study investigated the association between hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) dosage and COVID-19 mortality among hospitalized patients from multiple medical centers in China. The analysis focused on dose effects of HCQ on mortality.
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Repurposing & Pipeline (8.8.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, reports, pipeline and drug repurposing on this week’s podcast.
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SMILE enrollment hampered by COVID - yet failed to show a protective effect for HCQ in preventing SLE. Can you Prevent SLE? Dr. David Karp lecturing at UTSW @drdavidkarp @utswrheum https://t.co/GImHpycbgO
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Scandinavian study of > 13.6 million PYs shows NO increased risk of myositis after SARS-CoV-2 (mRNA & adenoviral vector) vaccines. Data from 101 myositis events in 7,002 398 unvaccinated PYs. Adj IRR 180d risk was 0.84 (0.63–1.11) and 1.31 (0.72–2.36) respectively https://t.co/D5KVyvXaot
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Do Patients with Rheumatic Diseases 'Weather' the Storm?
Dr. Janet Pope reports on abstract 0164 (Online Patient Survey on the Impact of Extreme Weather Events on Autoimmune and Rheumatic Diseases) presented at #acr25.
https://t.co/rY3T6tWsgu https://t.co/vdgT2DB5lH
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Why are vaccine Abs maintained after CAR-T
-depletion of pathogenic #Abs are dampened/eliminated
Clonal repetoire expansion
Remission=naive B cell pop'n
Reset immune system sparing memory cells
vs ?not all pathogenic cells eliminated in tissue
#ACR25 @RheumNow @ACRheum
#26S21 https://t.co/jb3dD5Ssip
Janet Pope Janetbirdope ( View Tweet)
@CarolineDiorio @ChildrensPhila @RheumNow Indeed, there are a lot of familiar HLH/MAS friends in the post-CAR-T CRS mix...
(indeed, rheum friends from many places)
@CarolineDiorio @ChildrensPhila in the #ACR25 BCRC pre-meeting @RheumNow https://t.co/OzWu3MV1FA
Links:
David Liew drdavidliew ( View Tweet)
Abstract 0806
Compared to belimumab, Anifrolumab associated with:
↑ infection risk b (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.05–1.88)
↑ herpes zoster (HR 3.94) & COVID-19 (HR 1.66)
No diff in mortality or hospital use
📈 3-yr infection: 38.3% vs 21.3%
@RheumNow #ACR25
Akhil Sood MD, MS AkhilSoodMD ( View Tweet)
Colchicine Ineffective in Long COVID
Management of long COVID has been perplexing with symptoms having functional and possibly inflammatory origins. Colchicine has been studied in long COVID and failed to improve functional capacity, respiratory function, or inflammatory https://t.co/9E3dvUFqJP
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
UK remission rates for early RA have been stablebut there are variations. DAS study of 13 752 RA, 35% in remission - but 28% (London) to 40% (East England). Delays in referral since COVID-19. Less remission w/ youth, female, Black, hi DAS28, delayed DMARDs. longer Sxs duration https://t.co/57QlnEqBci
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Did Hydroxychloroquine Reduce COVID-19 Mortality?
A multicenter study investigated the association between hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) dosage and COVID-19 mortality among hospitalized patients from multiple medical centers in China. The analysis focused on dose effects of HCQ on https://t.co/BuHoMDwpuP
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
There is no criteria for infection-induced Antiphospholipid syndr (APS). aPL & aCL abs have been reported w/ COVID, HCV, HIV, EBV, varicella-zoster, & CMV. infections may induce transient aPL positivity without over APS, but may precipitate APS or catastrophic APS (CAPS).
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
ILD Begins (8.29.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from https://t.co/V10S4oVFsv. This week news on vaccines, safety of acetaminophen and more.
https://t.co/YlOK3X4hkW https://t.co/9cgcDn0xab
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
COVID Vaccine study in rheum pts on JAKi (n 22) or TNFi (n 16) Showing 50% response in JAKi and 81% w/ TNFi Rx. Pt PBMCs were stim by SAR-CoV2 spike proteins & CD4+ T cells IFNγ production as Pos. response. Do JAKi impair COVID-19 Vax responses? https://t.co/dZAktwrytf https://t.co/mjkBfcGcfD
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
New CDC report confirms a record number of Measles cases in the USA, now at 1,319 (in 39 states), the highest since 1992. National cases are more than 4.5 times higher than the entirety of last year, which had an estimated 285 cases reported. https://t.co/KkqQu9C4cO https://t.co/bND6hPDUNA
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Short full read review of the history, safety and use of Corticosteroids in Respiratory Medicine (including use in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), ARDS, septic shock, ILD, COPD/asthma, COVID-19, Cancer, Sarcoid & IPF. https://t.co/aKMAT8IhLm https://t.co/RopoNnYJ6Z
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
FDA adds new warning for "myocarditis" to the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines (prev mainly assoc w/ Moderna) - risk is 8 per 1 million people for those on 2023-2024 COVID shots, most common in males ages 12 to 24. Generally good outcomes seen. https://t.co/QZbTRaKGH1 https://t.co/1cAUw73eqF
Links:
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Pregnancy outcomes in autoinflammatory disease
To address this, a French multi-centre prospective pregnancy observational cohort was set up, to analyse disease activity, treatment, pregnancy outcomes, delivery, and neonatal health. The work – presented at the 2025 annual https://t.co/oQ7A2bnDmO
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
