Skip to main content

Anti-Rheumatic Rx

Who Treats Spondyloarthritis Better?

MedPage Today

European nations may be winning at optimizing care for people with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), international survey data indicate. In data collected from physicians and patients in the U.S. and five European countries, American patients reported a greater symptom burden on average after

Read Article

EULAR 2025 Update for Behçet’s syndrome

EULAR has updated its recommendations for the management of Behçet’s syndrome, the last being published in 2018. The current update carries no recommendations from the previous version: seven recommendations have content modifications, four have minor wording amends, and one is entirely new

Read Article
REVEAL, a 5-yr real-world study of 236 SLE pts initiating anifrolumab (basekbube SLEDAI-2K 7 for mucocutaneous (67%) & MSK (49%) dz. At 6 months, 26% achieved remission, 66% reached LLDAS, and 57% achieved LLDAS5. Authors claim rapid onset of action https://t.co/16OQatOcPj https://t.co/mU9aciCNcH
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Retrospective Japanese study of 544 pts w/ GPA or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) followed > 48 wks; only 29 (5.3%) achieved steroid free remission (GFCR) at wk 48. Predictors of GFCR: rituximab induction (OR 3.9) & avacopan use (OR 24.3). MP pulse RX had lower likelihood of GFCR https://t.co/EMRqA5oHJQ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Rheumatology Pitfalls (3.20.2026)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the regulatory actions, news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com.

Read Article

Predictors of Response in Lupus

A systematic review suggests that traditional measures (serologies and disease activity) are superior to biomarkers in predicting response to biologics in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. 

Read Article

Long-Term Bimekizumab Safety Data

MedPage Today

Adverse effects from bimekizumab through 2 years or more of treatment for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) were about as expected from shorter-term data, results from long-term extension studies indicated.

Read Article

FDA Approves Icotrokinra for Plaque Psoriasis

Today the FDA approved an oral IL-23 inhibitor, icotrokinra (Icotyde), for use in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults and children 12 years of age and older (who weigh at least 40 kg) who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

Read Article

Hydralazine and the Rare Risk of Vasculitis

Since the 1980s, hydralazine has been a notable cause of drug-induced lupus, and inferred to cause vasculitis as well.  A retrospective cohort study from Canada has shown

Read Article

2025 Update: EULAR Recommendations on Rheumatoid Arthritis Management

The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) has updated their rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management recommendations, notably with fewer recommendations (total of 9, down from 11 in 2022 version), by merging and removing previous recommendations.

Read Article

Worldwide Trends in Hyperuricemia

A Lancet Rheumatology systematic review shows the prevalence of hyperuricaemia has risen markedly over the past two decades in both men and women, owing to population growth, aging, and increasing age-specific rates

Read Article
Managing Gout in CKD Patients A current review article addressed the management of gout patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This full read review addresses the epidemiology, challenges, treatment decisions, and outcomes. https://t.co/ND0cspcmDd https://t.co/HI55D5koZj
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Long-Term Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy Risk About one in 18 patients taking hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for 15 years develop retinal damage, a new meta-analysis indicated. https://t.co/TBSTIb29Pf https://t.co/7TYQe4N4JH
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
The Role of Calcineurin Inhibitors in Lupus Nephritis In the U.S, lupus nephritis affects approximately 40–50% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), contributing significantly to the morbidity and mortality of the affected individuals (1). However, significant https://t.co/sc4cgAYzGy
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors lower serum uric acid levels, by approximately 0.6 to 1.5 mg/dL. They increase renal uric acid excretion via a uricosuric effect), thereby reducing gout risk by 30% to 50%. https://t.co/weXVOhpiP9 https://t.co/NsCRNi9JI9
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Metanalysis of calcineurin inhib. in RA - 11 RCTs, 1793 RA pts. Cyclosporin (CSA( (RR 1.6 & Tacrolimus (TAC (RR 2.1) signif improved ACR20 responses. CSA was dose dependent, less so w/ TAC. Both require serum Creat. monitoring consistent increase in s-Cr https://t.co/OxNGYbupnt https://t.co/F08vDCMYtr
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Poets Know It (3.13.2026)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, regulatory decisions and new journal articles.

Read Article

Rheumatic Immune-related Adverse Effects with Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy

A retrospective study of patients who developed rheumatic immune-related adverse events (R-irAEs) after receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) at two oncology centers in Spain suggests that early recognition can lead to effective management that allows continuation of cancer therapy.

Read Article
Long-Term Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy Risk About one in 18 patients taking hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for 15 years develop retinal damage, a new meta-analysis indicated. https://t.co/Gp6o0FfEYA https://t.co/TjLNXl229v
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Basic, full-read overview of "JAK inhibitors: risks and safety principles" from the Pharmaceutical Journal. Addresses MOA, indications, warnings, monitoring, adverse effects, interactions, Serious AEs, vaccination and best practices. https://t.co/qrqeu1CzRg https://t.co/7qIszLwUrf
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

b/ts-DMARDs Do Not Arrest Bone Loss in RA

In RA, the goal is to control or arrest inflammation such that articular and bony damage is halted. While we have many effective therapies, it is not clear that biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) can prevent or improve osteoporosis outcomes in RA. A

Read Article

NEJM: Obinutuzumab in Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

A phase 3 trial of obinutuzumab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, showed potent B-cell depletion and clinical efficacy active systemic lupus erythematosus without evidence of nephritis.

Read Article

Long-Term Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy Risk

MedPage Today

About one in 18 patients taking hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for 15 years develop retinal damage, a new meta-analysis indicated.

Read Article
The Role of Calcineurin Inhibitors in Lupus Nephritis In the U.S, lupus nephritis affects approximately 40–50% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), contributing significantly to the morbidity and mortality of the affected individuals (1). However, significant https://t.co/JBz0gQeJUr
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

TYK2 Inhibitor Deucravacitinib FDA Approved for Psoriatic Arthritis

On Friday, March 6th, the FDA approved deucravacitinib (Sotyktu) for the treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) based on the results of the pivotal Phase 3 POETYK PsA-1 and POETYK PsA-2 clinical trials. Deucravacitinib, an oral selective tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2)
Read Article
×