Treating Obesity is Disease-Modifying (9.4.2026) Save

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.  New drugs approved, new drugs halted and some drugs out of control. Ready to test your knowlege? Take this week's quiz!

1. FDA Approves Brepocitinib to Treat Dermatomyositis
2. Novartis & BMS CAR-T Cell Trials on Hold
3. NY Times reports Gallop poll: 15% Americans have used a wt-loss drug (11% currently taking) - up from 3% in 2024. These have been approved for use in NIDDM, weight loss, liver Dz, CV risk reduct. & sleep apnea. Also obesity in USA is fell to 36.4%, after peak of 39.9% in 2022. https://buff.ly/6cyfZSP
4. Korean retrospective study compared NIDDM pts Rx w/ SGLT2 inhibitor (n 552,065) vs sulfonylurea (1,480,092) showed SGLT2 inhibitors were assoc w/ a signif 11% lower risk of incident autoimmune rheumatic disease (HR 0.89). Diff of −6.50 per 100K PYs over median ~9 mos F/U. https://t.co/uTiCjejkjL
5. NEJM images: Jaccoud’s arthropathy is a chronic, deforming;from laxity of the ligaments & tendons (not damage to bone & cartilage). Deformities are reducible & no erosions on Xray. Jaccoud’s mimics RA, but most seen w/ SLE. https://buff.ly/qcLLzam
6. Metanalysis looked at neutrophil to Lymph ration (NLR) in SLE - 31 studies, 4,006 SLE pts. NLR signif incr in SLE worldwide. NLR was higher in Active vs inactive SLE, and showed a significant but moderate correlation w/ SLEDAI (CC=0.354, p < 0.001). https://t.co/ROG5L4nfo2
7. Chinese retrospective study of 140 Bx proven Kikuchi-Fujimoto pts shows very few evolve into #SLE. While 60% were ANA+ (11.3% other autoAbs) - none developed SLE (median F/U 39mos). KFD is benign, self limiting necrotizing lymphadenitis usually in young women. https://t.co/Ai7W9GCBVb
8. VA (VARA) registry study of 2723 RA pts showed frailty was independently associated with increased cancer incidence. Age-adjusted CA incidence rates (per 1,000PYs) were 12.3 (robust), 15.5 (pre-frail), and 19.9 (frail). CA mortality rates were 7.8, 10.6, & 9.8/1,000PYs https://t.co/Ex52R56oT1
9. Necrotizing arteritis is rare w/ IgA Vasculitis (IgAV). Review compared 30 IgAV-NA to 257 adult IgAV & 196 PAN pts. Overall IgAV-NA is a severe IgAV phenotype with life-threatening complications & should prompt vascular imaging and intensified immunosuppression. IgAV-NA had more https://t.co/XdPbGX770D
10. Korean National Health Insurance claims study of 4,107 newly Dx gout on allopurinol x 24 mos (vs non-gout controls). Gout significantly higher risk of fractures (aHR 5.52), highest in those with low-adherence to allopurinol (aHR 5.91). Consistent trends seen or vertebral (aHR 5.68) & hip (aHR 4.22) Fx  https://t.co/cTO4lGtYAy
11. Ro52 Abs in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). From 2,126 IIM China/Japan pts, Ro52 positivity was common (46%), esp in MDA5+ DM & anti-synthetase syndr (ASyS) & was assoc w/ high freq of ILD, rapidly progressive ILD, and poor prognosis. https://t.co/may6ZTJkvt
12. SELECT-PsA 2 subanalysis of 195 active PsA not responding to TNFi shows switching to upadacitinib 15 (vs PB) was superior @wk 24 - ACR20 (58% vs 22%), ACR50 (38% vs 9.5%), ACR70 (22% vs 0%), MDA (24% vs 3%) & maintained thru wk 152. Switching MOAs makes sense! https://t.co/YEkZuQ95Mu
13. Resolved HBV infx (HBsAg-neg/anti-HBc+) retrospective study of HBc seroclearance in 230 pts Rx w/ anti-CD20 mAb. anti-HBc seroclearance seen in 16.5% (assoc w/ Younger age, less CD20 Rx, MMF Rx). HBV reactivation seen 5/230 (2.2%), including two w/ HBc seroclearance. HBc seroconverters pts are still at risk for HBV reactivation.https://t.co/T0gfxftOgu
14. JAK inhibitors work & have a dose dependent effect in severe alopecia areata (AA). Metanalysis of 10 Rxs, 3866 AA pts (used the SALT20 endpoint) showed the best efficacy was deuruxolitinib_12 mg, and baricitinib_4 mg (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.98–3.38). https://t.co/k86f2RvCEJ
15. EUSTAR Registry - Cancer in Systemic Sclerosis
16. BMI Affects JAK Inhibitor Responses in Rheumatoid Arthritis