Strike First: TNFi vs. Step-Up Therapy in Early Peripheral SpA

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The approach to the treatment of peripheral SpA has been the same for a long time. The guidelines recommend starting with NSAIDs, escalate to conventional synthetic DMARDs, typically sulfasalazine or methotrexate and reserve biologics for patients who fail those. According to a new phase 3 trial presented at EULAR 2026, there may be a different way to approach this.

How to treat SLE in 2026 and beyond!

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There are so many SLE trials, and over the last year, many new ideas have been suggested.

Updates in SLE and APS

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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) often overlap. While there have been some therapeutic advances, significant needs remain around diagnosis and monitoring, with a gap around definitions and biomarkers for refractory disease or specific subsets.

New biomarkers in RA: Who to treat, Who to watch, Who to taper?

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Here is my summary of what EULAR 2026 is presenting to us in the field of biomarker-driven personalized care in RA.

Exploring Idiopathic Myopathies

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Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a heterogenous group of autoimmune conditions with substantial morbidity. EULAR in collaboration with the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) introduced classification criteria for the major subgroups in 2017,1 but there is a need for contemporary real-world data to understand the burden – and well as new ways of assessing disease activity.

Day 2 Report from EULAR 2026

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Day two at EULAR 2026 was jammed with sessions on advances in immune checkpoint inhhbitors (and irAEs), Lupus, Scleroderma, RA and IgG4 related disease.  Here are a few of my favorites from Day 2. 

New JAK inhibitors in the axSpA treatment landscape

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At EULAR 2026, two large phase 3 studies highlight that the JAK story in axSpA is still evolving rapidly, with different selectivity profiles and expanding global development programs continuing to push the field forward.

What’s New in Psoriatic Arthritis: A Whirlwind Tour

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At the "What Is New in Psoriatic Arthritis" session at EULAR 2026, Professor Dennis McGonagle (Leeds, UK) took the audience on a whirlwind yet compact tour of the field, touching on three themes: the pathophysiology of PsA, individualization of clinical management, and emerging research and future directions.

CAR-T Reaches the Synovium: COMPARE Phase 1 in ACPA-Positive RA

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Treatment-refractory RA is more common than we sometimes admit. Roughly 11% of patients fail multiple b/tsDMARD classes, and for the ACPA-positive subset, rituximab has long been the fallback. It works, but it rarely produces durable disease-free intervals. CD19 CAR T-cell therapy was always going to be the question that followed the SLE data. Until EULAR 2026, that question had no prospective answer. The plenary session changed that.

RA-ILD: Screening risk and genetic susceptibility

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RA-ILD remains one of the most serious extra-articular manifestations of RA, contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality. Two abstracts presented at EULAR 2026 add important insights into identifying patients at risk for RA-ILD and understanding the genetic mechanisms that may underpin disease development.

MRI as a novel biomarker in lupus

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The clinical abstract sessions on diagnostic tools in lupus showcased interesting studies, including the use of MRI as potential non-invasive biomarkers.

Three Abstracts That May Shape the Future of RA Treatment

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Our therapeutic armamentarium in RA keeps on growing. New studies and new molecules, new mechanisms of action or new ways of using old drugs are presented every year at conferences. But which are the ones who can have an impact on our practice? Here is my selection of 3 abstracts presented at EULAR 2026 that identify therapeutic strategies that are well worth keeping on our radar.

‘Strong’ treatment predictions in inflammatory myositis

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Presented at EULAR 2026 London, Brepocitinib dual TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor with successful Phase 3 VALOR trial demonstrating significant improvement in skin and muscle symptoms in dermatomyositis (DM).

Vasculitis Updates: Glucocorticoid use in AAV and GCA

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Glucocorticoids are the cornerstone of initial vasculitis treatment, used to rapidly control inflammation and protect vital organs. EULAR has recommendations that cover glucocorticoid use in ANCA associated vasculitides (AAV) and large vessel vasculitis, including giant cell arteritis (GCA).1,2 But the evidence base continues to grow about their use – especially over the long term.

Digital Platforms and AI

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EULAR works with the network of national organisations of People with Arthritis/Rheumatism in Europe (PARE) to ensure the voices of people with RMD are heard and have influence – creating powerful alliances that make a real difference. Artificial intelligence is another potential ally in that fight. At the EULAR 2026 Congress in London, work was presented from three PARE initiatives that showcase how digital tools can be used in treatment education and decision-making, and potentially avoid the use of general web searches to answer important questions.