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Biologics

AFFINITY Study - Combination Biologic Therapy in Psoriatic Arthritis

Jack Cush, MD

A pilot trial assessed the efficacy and safety of the guselkumab+golimumab (COMBO) combination versus guselkumab (GUS) monotherapy in active PsA (failing a prior tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi-IR) and showed superiority in ACR 50 responses but not minimal di

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Moral Distress (3.27.2026)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the journal reports and news from RheumNow.com.  This week we discuss moral distress, FM in PsA, Lyme Vax is back & hidden but tangible benefits of the MDHAQ.

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Spotty Medicare Coverage for Newer Rheumatoid Arthritis Meds

MedPage Today

Medicare coverage of targeted disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) -- both under Medicare Advantage and in separate Part D plans -- is likely to leave many patients wanting, researchers found.

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2025 Update: EULAR Recommendations on Rheumatoid Arthritis Management

Jack Cush, MD

The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) has updated their rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management recommendations, notably with fewer recommendations (total of 9, down from 11 in 2022 version), by merging and removing previous recommendations.

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UBER Rheumatology Ride (3.6.2026)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this week on RheumNow.com

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Diagnosing and Managing GCA and Takayasu’s Arteritis

Adela Castro, MD

Giant-cell arteritis and Takayasu’s arteritis are both large-vessel vasculitides, but each brings its own diagnostic and management challenges. Many of the difficulties overlap because they are rare, heterogeneous, and lack perfect diagnostic tests or specific biomarkers.

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AFFINITY Study - Combination Biologic Therapy in PsA A pilot trial assessed the efficacy and safety of the guselkumab+golimumab (COMBO) combination versus GUS monotherapy in active PsA (failing a prior tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi-IR) and showed superiority in ACR 50 https://t.co/f2CB8FnZMB
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Real-world safety of tofacitinib vs biologics in 48,167 #PsA pts Rx w/ TOFA (3,166); TNFi (27K); IL-17Ai (20K); risankizumab (4,381); ustekinumab (4,499). Crude IRs/100 PY were 1.78-2.53 for serious infxn, 0.27–0.61 MI/stroke, 0.17–0.42 VTE, & 0.74–1.06 cancer. TOFA had signif https://t.co/dErlkyY9WC
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Real-world safety of tofacitinib vs biologics in 48,167 #PsA pts Rx w/ TOFA (3,166); TNFi (27K); IL-17Ai (20K); risankizumab (4,381); ustekinumab (4,499). Crude IRs/100 PY were 1.78-2.53 for serious infxn, 0.27–0.61 MI/stroke, 0.17–0.42 VTE, & 0.74–1.06 cancer. TOFA had signif https://t.co/Z5wZTGc5gB
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Retrospective TriNetX Network cohort study of adult PsA (N 123,031) pts, propensity- matched to non-PsA controls. PsA had signif higher CV morbidity: MACE (HR 1.74); mortality (HR 1.95); CHF (HR 1.96), MI (HR 1.71), & CVA (HR 1.49). bDMARDs reduced MACE (HR 0.95) & mortality (HR https://t.co/bHrq9KpwBM
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Long-Term Bimekizumab Safety Data Adverse effects from bimekizumab through 2 years or more of treatment for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) were about as expected from shorter-term data, results from long-term extension studies indicated. https://t.co/AaJxewNQmQ
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
UCB announced topline results of the BE-BOLD head-to-head study where bimekizumab (IL-17i) was superior to risankizumab (IL-23i) study; 553 active PsA in achieving an ACR50 response at 16 weeks. Enrolled PsA pts were either bilogic naïve or who had previous exposure to 1 TNFi

Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

Annual fibromyalgia survey (FIRST) in axSpA pts in the DESIR cohort. FM was found in 22% (& assoc w/ less HLA-B27+ & XRay sacroiliitis, equal MRI SI a& ^ CRP. FM/AxSpA had less self-reported Dz activity, QOL, more disability & more likely to Rx w/ TNFi (64% vs 41%), but resp https://t.co/9rkZFUSB2M
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
UCB announced topline results of the BE-BOLD head-to-head study where bimekizumab (IL-17i) was superior to risankizumab (IL-23i) study; 553 active PsA in achieving an ACR50 response at 16 weeks. Enrolled PsA pts were either bilogic naïve or who had previous exposure to 1 TNFi

Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

Swiss study of 1st TNFi efficacy in 3324 axial spondy (axSpA) (≤1 yr=very early Dz,441; 1-2 yrs =early axSpA, 218; >2 yrs=establi axSpA, 2575). After adjusting for age/sex, B27, etc, no signif. difference seen when TNFi started regarding later outcomes: TNFi retention, or ASDAS https://t.co/1EaP8UOsVt
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Korean National Insurance claims study (2010–2023) of treatment persistence of IL-17i vs TNFi (IL-17i: 375; TNFi: 1285) in 1660 axSpA pts found equal Tx durations. However, primary nonresponse D/C was significantly higher w/ TNFi vs IL-17i (adj HR 1.54 to 2.11) https://t.co/2CF4OCPT6z
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Taiwan National retrospective study (2001-20) of 8732 newly Dx, biologic-naïve RA pts initiating b/tsDMARDs. Found no difference in malignancy event rates between DMARDs. 2.16% over 5-yr & 2.89% over 18yrs. (6384 Rx w/ TNFis, 667 w/ TCZ, 656 w/ ABA, 1025 on tsDMARDs) https://t.co/54ZMPywEYI
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Sonelokimab (SLK) is a nanobody that inhibits IL-17A & IL-17F. Press release from Moonlake shows SLK was effective in the phase 2, S-OLARIS study of 26 axial spondyloarthritis pts where 80+% of patients achieved ASAS40 by Week 12 https://t.co/BQjBcvESfe https://t.co/tXRKj8CPbz

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Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Peripheral manifestations are inconsistently assessed in axSpA trials. b/tsDMARDs have small-to-mod effects on peripheral Sxs & may be underestimated. Assessments in axSpA RCTs were low for periph arthritis 54%, enthesitis in 64% and dactylitis in only 10% of studies. https://t.co/cCNvU1oZMh
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
J Rheum full read editorial on What HLA-B27 Can—and Cannot—Tell Us!. HLA-B27 also holds prognostic and theragnostic value, given its association with greater structural damage, higher inflammatory burden, and better response to tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 17 inhib. https://t.co/3xNDtePEzn
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
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