Advances in RA-ILD
Dr. Jeffrey Sparks gave a state of the art update on Advances in RA-ILD, many of which he and his group have played a big part in, on Saturday at RNL26.
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FDA has announced "Breakthrough Designation" for 3 drugs + 1 test being developed:
** Biogen: litifilimab (targets dendritic cells) for cutaneous lupus
** Novartis: Ianalumab (BAFF blockade) for Sjogrens
** J&J: Nipocaiimab (FcRn) for Sjogrens
** Encarta: pocket Lyme test https://t.co/RMKg14rejq
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ANA Pollution (2.06.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal articles and regulatory news from this past week on RheumNow.com
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FDA sent a complete response letter to AstraZeneca on their application (BLA) for anifrolumabs (Saphnelo) subcutaneous use in SLE. Despite a positive TULIP-SC trial & EU approval of SC-anifrolumab, FDA & sponsor still have to work things out. CRL reasons are unknown https://t.co/3dNwEyolrj
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
FDA vs. Amgen: At Odds Over Avacopan
MedPage Today
The FDA has requested that Amgen voluntarily withdraw avacopan (Tavneos), a treatment for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, but the company said it has no plans to pull the drug from the market.
Originally developed by ChemoCentryx, the oral
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ALTO: Long-Term Abatacept Outcomes in At-Risk RA
Lancet Rheumatology has published the ALTO results - long term outcomes of the APIPPRA trial, demonstrating that treatment with abatacept (ABA) in at risk patients can delay progression to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for up to 4 years.
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Potential New Rheumatology Drugs for 2026. These have had successful phase III RCTs and will need to be reviewed by regulators:
** deucravacitinib (Sotyktu) Tyk2 inhib for PsA
** Icotrokinra (Icotyde) oral IL-23i for psoriasis
** brepocitinib TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor for https://t.co/CQmfjIDMp3
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
FDA has announced "Breakthrough Designation" for 3 drugs + 1 test being developed:
** Biogen: litifilimab (targets dendritic cells) for cutaneous lupus
** Novartis: Ianalumab (BAFF blockade) for Sjogrens
** J&J: Nipocaiimab (FcRn) for Sjogrens
** Encarta: pocket Lyme test https://t.co/zODOTWyqP8
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
The EMA CHMP has started a review of oral complement C5 inhibitor avacopan (Tavneos) based on serious questions about amendments to the data from the pivotal ADVOCATE study. The drug was approved in 2021 for use in GPA & MPA. https://t.co/a5ggUqk1dG
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
B Cells at the Brink in Sjögren Disease
The current issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology reviews the current understanding of the immunopathogenesis of Sjögren disease (SjD) and how this understanding has informed drug development for this systemic autoimmune disorder. https://t.co/p3dn1Ca2ag
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Roche Canada announced that Health Canada has approved obinutuzumab (Gazyva) for the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis who are receiving standard therapy. Following four initial doses in the first year, Gazyva can be administered twice yearly https://t.co/P4dCVkoPCH
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
APPIPRA Study - Benefits of Early Treatment
Treating people who are at high risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can delay the onset of the disease for several years, with benefits also continuing well after treatment has stopped.
https://t.co/GYguq7VlqT https://t.co/5Z0BXIm3cM
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RheumNow Live Preview (1.30.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from RheumNow.com - and the top 5 reasons to attend RheumNow Live 2026, which is one week away.
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Aortitis in Giant Cell Arteritis Treated with Tocilizumab
The The Tocilizumab in Giant Cell Arteritis Spanish Collaborative Group studied giant cell arteritis with aortitis, comparing the efficacy of intravenous vs. subcutaneously (SC) tocilizumab (TCZ) - demonstrating the superiority of SC TCZ.
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Notch and TGFβ Signaling in Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis
EurekAlert!
Spatial transcriptomic profiling of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial biopsies (pre- and post-treatment) has revealed new insights into the pathobiology or treatment resistent RA.
The following transcript comes from an interview on this paper that appeared in Nature
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B Cells at the Brink in Sjögren Disease
The current issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology reviews current understanding of the immunopathogenesis of Sjögren disease (SjD) and how that has influenced the quest for drug development for this most systemic autoimmune disorder.
Although several new agents have shown very
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Roche Canada announced that Health Canada has approved obinutuzumab (Gazyva) for the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis who are receiving standard therapy. Following four initial doses in the first year, Gazyva can be administered twice yearly https://t.co/snAVErShjK
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Retrospective real-world study of 87 Behcets dz pts & inital Rx w/ IFX (n 45) or ADA (n 42) (2020 to 2025) & >60% were on AZA. Complete remission achieved in 76% (IFX) vs 79% (ADA) initially, & 89% vs 77% last visit. Same Rx retention but more relapses w/ IFX (38% v 17%) https://t.co/6FiuYe0GI9
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Did you know theres a Subcutaneous (SC) rituximab (Hycela)? Its same RTX but combined w/ hyaluronidase, faster 5-7 minute injection Vs hours for IV RTX. FDA approved 2017 for Follicular Lymphoma (FL) and Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). Give 1st dose IV, then use SC RTX. https://t.co/piQ2ZhAOyf
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Emergencies, Independence & Hemorrhage (1.23.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and reports from the past two weeks on RheumNow.Com
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BIOBADASER III Registry shows No Cancer Risk with b/tsDMARDs
A large, real-world cohort study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) finds patients treated with biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs (b/tsDMARDs) do not have an increased risk of cancer.
Researchers used 2000–2023 data for RA patients from the BIOBADASER III registry,
The 2025 Rheumatology Year in Review
The year 2025 presented numerous advances in rheumatology and related inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, ranging from several new groundbreaking FDA approvals/indications, drug developments, game-changing guidelines, and practices that https://t.co/gjNesm0AWO
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
The 2025 Rheumatology Year in Review
The year 2025 presented numerous advances in rheumatology and related inflammatory and autoimmune disorders ranging from several new groundbreaking FDA approvals/indications, drug developments, game-changing guidelines and practices that will impact patient care for rheumatic diseases.
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Advanced Practitioner Biologic Prescriptions for Psoriasis
Advanced practice clinicians (APCs; nurse practitioners and physician assistants) deliver a large share of US dermatologic care, accounting for 37% of clinicians and 27% of dermatology visits by 2020. A current JAMA Dermatology reports APC drug spending trends in dermatology, with a focus on
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2026 Resolutions (1.9.2026)
Dr. Cush reviews the news, announcements and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow. More on Variable bendability, a better way to treat RA, and a novel advance for GLP1a in PsA; and 2026 Resolutions!
https://t.co/DgY2trZGKA https://t.co/3ka4SDRnJO
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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The Impact of Obesity on Psoriatic Arthritis
Sponsored by Lilly Medical Affairs
Obesity is common in PsA and may worsen disease activity and reduce treatment effectiveness through shared inflammatory pathways. Weight intervention may improve outcomes and support achievement of targets of disease control.
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