News
Looking for RA-ILD: 9 Clinical Clues from ANCHOR-RA
Which of our RA patients will develop interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), and how can we better identify these patients? In abstract #2884 at 2026 ACR Convergence, Dr. Jeffrey Sparks presented findings from ANCHOR-RA trial, a large prospective cross-sectional study evaluating risk factors for ILD in at-risk patients with RA without a known diagnosis. The goal was to identify the clinical characteristics that can guide screening for RA-ILD.
Making the Case for Early Biologics in Lupus
Several abstracts presented at ACR 2026 provide new insights into the potential benefits of early biologic treatment in SLE.
ACR 2026 Day 3 Report
Today the ACR began with the Great Debate, an intriguing set of Plenary presentations, a never-ending poster hall and a plethora of stimulation oral presentation sessions. Here are a few of my favorites from today:
Pregnancy After CAR-T in Autoimmune Disease: 14 Pregnancies, No Flares
The first multicenter series of pregnancies after CAR T-cell therapy for autoimmune disease reports 8 healthy births and no maternal flares. It is the first dataset of its kind, and the numbers are small.
Menopause and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Are we asking enough?
Pain, fatigue and poor sleep are common concerns for people living with RA. In women approaching or experiencing menopause, joint and muscle pain, mood changes and sleep difficulties are recognised menopause-associated symptoms. A study from Mayo Clinic at this year’s ACR Convergence examines menopause symptom burden in women with and without RA.
Beyond HLA-B27: Anti-14-3-3eta Autoantibodies as a Candidate Marker in axSpA
14-3-3 proteins are a conserved family of seven isoforms with diverse cellular functions, found predominantly intracellularly. The 14-3-3eta isoform has been studied as a proinflammatory mediator in RA pathogenesis (1).
PMR: Spare The Steroids Please
Steroids remain both the cornerstone and the Achilles' heel of PMR management. We have aspirations of briskly tapering our patients once they have had their honeymoon phase with prednisone. But when Ms.
All RA-ILD deserves a trial of immunomodulation
The optimum treatment approach in RA-ILD remains an area mired in controversy. This is evident from the contrasting views taken by the 2 recent expert guidelines from ACR and EULAR, which advocate for very different treatment options.
IgG4-RD in 3 Talks: Shorter Steroids, Earlier B-Cell Therapy
IgG4-related disease now has two phase 3 trials and its first dedicated treatment guidelines. Glucocorticoids remain the weak point.
New Treatment for Fibromyalgia? Will It Help or Harm?
For years, the pharmacologic treatment landscape for fibromyalgia has remained relatively unchanged, with limited therapeutic options despite a substantial disease burden. This condition is characterized by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance and functional impairment.
Biologic Dosing and Obesity
A 46-year-old with psoriatic arthritis and a BMI of 38 still has active disease on adalimumab (Humira) 40 mg every other week. What do you do? Switch class, optimize methotrexate, or ask whether the dose itself is too low?
One Diagnosis, Different Diseases: Is TLR7/8 Inhibition the Future of Lupus Treatment?
We call it systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but are we really treating one disease? Increasingly, I wonder whether grouping biologically distinct patients under one diagnosis is limiting our ability to treat them effectively.
Cardiovascular Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Cardiovascular risk is an established part of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) care, but recognising a risk is not the same as treating it. Two abstracts at ACR Convergence 2026 highlight this.
