Methotrexate may be a rheumatologist’s best friend, but a key part of counselling any patient about its use has always been the risk of hepatotoxicity. Despite methotrexate’s near-ubiquitous use in rheumatology, and the consequent frequency of patient counselling about it, relatively little is known about what precautions are absolutely required, a situation which might otherwise provoke anxiety for patients.

Januse kinase (JAK) inhibitors are targeted synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (tsDMARDs) that have risen in popularity as earlier treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis. With multiple JAK inhibitors available in the United States (tofacitinib, baricitinib, and upadacitinib), patients who fail one treatment option have the ability to switch to another agent or change to biologic therapy. 

The RheumNow faculty reporters have been scouring and reporting on the best abstracts from the ACR. Here is a sampling of their choice abstract presentations reported during ACR 2020 Day 2 (#ACRbest).