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UBER Rheumatology Ride (3.6.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this week on RheumNow.com
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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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Myocarditis causes 17,000 deaths/Yr worldwide. Causes include A) iatrogenic/autoimmune: checkpoint inhibitors & gene therapy; B) High income countries: parvo B19, herpesvirus 6; C) low income: dengue, HIV, malaria and Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease) https://t.co/en4OnhWPda https://t.co/urwkjlVeg6
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
CDC study of Death certificate data showed that btw 2018–2023, there were 14,936 #SLE deaths (43% w/ SLE as the underlying cause). Mortality rate per million: females 5.97 > males 1.16, blacks 10.7. Causes of death:heart disease (0.93), cancer (0.56), COVID-19 (0.51). https://t.co/qTe6O66wRO
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
FDA has approved tocilizumab-anoh (Avtozma; Celltrion), a biosimilar to Actemra, for intravenous and subcutaneous use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), giant cell arteritis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and COVID-19. https://t.co/qw7SJ7ZCK9
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
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)
