Recently the FDA approved deucravacitinib, a highly selective TYK2 inhibitor for psoriasis. Trials are positive in psoriatic arthritis and a phase II study in SLE. What about the effects? Presentations from the ACR22 meeting may provide answers.

Patients with RA are known to have a higher mortality risk than the general population. In abstract 0246, Crowson et al propose a retrospective population-based study stratifying RA patients according to their comorbidities.

ACR Convergence 2022 promises to be another exciting year for research in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with multiple plenary sessions devoted to therapeutic advancements. Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect!

The management of RA patients with a history of cancer continues to be an area of concern. General recommendations are to treat patients with a history of solid organ cancer as no different to any other RA patient. Recently, the ORAL-Surveillance study demonstrated evidence of a greater risk of cancer with tofacitinib than with TNF inhibitors. In this setting, two posters both reassure and raise a new cause for concern.

A new treatment for AxSpA that has come on the scene are JAK inhibitors. In clinic, considerations for JAKi use are body mass index, smoking status, prior use of biologics and patients with high inflammatory states such as high CRP and inflammatory change on MRI scan of the spine and sacroiliac joints. There are further studies at #ACR22 which help answer these questions.

A Japanese large scale claims data study was able to collect 5-year data to study the treatment patterns in Still’s. In May 2019, intravenous tocilizumab was approved in Japan for Still’s disease. The study was designed to see patterns of steroid exposure before and after the approval of this therapy.

Type I interferon (IFN) is a powerful immune activator that is present at high levels in the majority of patients with lupus, an autoimmune disease.

Despite a wealth of treatment options, a number of notable unmet needs remain in PsA, most notably the significant diagnostic delay that many patients endure. We are all aware that those with psoriatic skin disease are the most at risk cohort for PsA. Identifying patients with psoriasis who have, or are at increased risk of PsA, appears to be the low hanging fruit that we just can’t fully seem to grasp.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact worldwide particularly among those who are immunocompromised. Numerous studies have highlighted the increased risk of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients with rheumatic diseases (RD). Public health measures including masking, social distancing, and vaccination have helped to lower the risk of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in this population.

The patient advocacy organization CreakyJoints will present 13 scientific posters at this year's ACR Convergence 2022 and 8 posters as part of the patient perspectives track. Below is a sampling of these scientific posters.  Priority Research Topics for Vaccine Uptake Among Adults with Autoimmune Conditions (Oral Presentation, Abstract 2247, Monday, November 14, 2022, 4:30-6:00pm ET)

After decades of having little else proven apart from glucocorticosteroids with which to treat polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), evidence for steroid-sparing options has grown in recent years, and this crescendo is set to continue at ACR Convergence 2022 in Philadelphia, PA.

When it comes to Spondyloarthritis we have numerous disease activity measures and much debate regarding best practices. When it comes to determining which to use in clinic, discrepancies occur. Do our activity measures truly represent disease? Are there some measures best suited to different populations? Does BASDAI work for women?

The pharmaceutical companies have will showcase their featured clinical trials and abstracts at ACR 2022.  These are their best studies for you to review and evaluate as part of your to-do list. In the least, you should be familiar with the names and objectives of some of these studies as they will be discussed and mentioned throughout the meeting. Abbvie

Dr Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com and looks forward to highlight sessions in the next few days at ACR Convergence 2022.

Rheumatoid arthritis treatment has come leaps and bounds in recent decades. Gone are the days of gold injections, chemical synovectomies, and physician-mandated bedrest (heaven forbid). Though the marketplace for RA treatments is becoming ever more crowded, there are still unmet needs.