Drug Safety

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LRA Awards for Immune Resetting Therapies in Lupus

Lupus Research Alliance

Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), the world’s largest private funder of lupus research, in collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced the inaugural recipients of

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US Biobank (n=480K) study of mobile phone use. W/ 13.6 yrs F/U, 6082 new RA. Cell phone use incr incident RA 14% (HR: 1.14; 1.07–1.23); w/ 8% risk (HR: 1.08) if used >30 min/wk. Speakerphone use was NS. https://t.co/U7TcyoY5SS https://t.co/kqqnFXwaEi

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
VACIMRA RCT in 249 RA pts on MTX were PCV13 vaccinated & continued or held MTX x 4wks. Best humoral responses w/ holding MTX x4wks with no clinical detriment over next 12 mos (remission, LDA, Xray outcomes) https://t.co/b6ByOYY0Fi https://t.co/XeJURKLpL8

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
30 yr Retrospective study of 1216 SLE hospitalizations in Barcelona - SLE flares & infections were most frequent. Hosp for infections signif. increased & in last 5yrs, exceeded Dz flares (34% vs. 26%). Younger pts had more flare hosp; older more infx hosp. Over time infx have https://t.co/TkUiXaoL1R
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
The safe/right choice is H. Zoster. You never fully eradicate invasive fungal or NTM infections. HBV is too risky to again use TNFi again. After H.zoster is Rx,there is evidence its safe to restart TNFi without risk of recurrence. Vagal N. Stim is the mechanistically same as

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Case-control study of 349 autoimmune (ARD) pts (SLE, RA, SSc) & serum assays for anti-neutrophil extracellular trap (aNET)Abs. aNET in 37% SLE assoc w/ APS (OR 3.4) & arterial thrombosis (OR 5.5). aNET in 40% RA assoc w/ ACPA+ (p=0.049) https://t.co/QwvmLAVmg7 https://t.co/VJ7JV5fcZE

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Sjogren's on chalkboard

RepurpSS-II: Hydroxychloroquine plus Leflunomide in Sjögren's

Jack Cush, MD

A small, pilot, phase 2b trial has shown that the combination of leflunomide and hydroxychloroquine (LEF+HCQ) was effective and safe in treating patients with active Sjögren's disease.

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lupus.nephritis.immunofluorescence.jpg

Trends and Innovations in Lupus Nephritis Clinical Trials

Jack Cush, MD

Xu et al. from Shanghai University have written an analysis of global lupus nephritis (LN) clinical trials and call for innovation.

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RHEUM Survey: After treating which infection can you safely resume anti-TNF therapy?

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) have been strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of lupus, as their primary product, type I interferon (IFN-I), drive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). A recent comprehensive review synthesizes the https://t.co/VaE295a2Ep
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
True or False: In a Japanese study of refractory neuropsychiatric SLE, rituximab led to significant improvement in the majority of patients treated. See if you got it right at https://t.co/3F1h89Qrtw https://t.co/vx0ILsZ3WF

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RHEUM Survey: After treating which infection can you safely resume anti-TNF therapy?

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

FDA has approved benralizumab (Fasenra) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients w/ hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES); based on the NATRON Phase III trial https://t.co/7se6qLsQoP https://t.co/64wC94hTTq

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Fatigue in SLE An NIH lupus cohort study looked at fatigue in SLE and found associations with organ damage, obesity, but does not correlate with disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. https://t.co/63JVDUwu88 https://t.co/3dPOThMbMD

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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Quiz Talk (5.22.2026)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush talks of birthdays, Quizzes and journal articles this week on the podcast.

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Does RTX work in CNS lupus? Japanese experience in 17 refractory NP-SLE pts Rx w/ RTX - 16/17 had significant improve. & 1 partial improvement -- none had NP-SLE relapse. Two died during COVID> https://t.co/GpCgpSxn37 https://t.co/PMz05MHBhj

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Press release of early study of IMVT-1402 (human mAb targeting FcRn) Open-label Rx in 170 active, refractory RA showed ACR 20/50/70 of 73%/54%/36% at wk 16. Next, Responders will do a blinded withdrawl - blinded results to follow. https://t.co/Mzmb3PPvMF https://t.co/oZ99l9VJQU

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Kissei Pharmaceuticals announced 20 deaths related to receiving avacopan (Tavneos), a vasculitis drug sold by the firm in Japan. Drug was released in June 2022, since its been given to ~8,500 pts. Avacopan safety is being reviewed by FDA with Amgen. https://t.co/ri0nROCL5U https://t.co/jbksrWMFwI

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Israel study 264,858 pregnancies- 1st trimester NSAID exposure had no risk of congenital malformations (MCM). 8% exposed vs unexposed: overall MCM 8.2% v 7%; aRR 0.99). MCMs not incr = MSK, CV, CNS, cleft palate, GI, GU, nonsignif MSM aRR from 0.77- 1.05 https://t.co/ytYhBFl44o https://t.co/1fq4D1KykM

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
HCQ target dosing using bullseye imagery

Hydroxychloroquine: 5 mg/kg/day Is Only the Starting Point

Shivani Garg, MD, PhD  Donald E Thomas Jr

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is one of the most important drugs in rheumatology, especially for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It reduces flares, organ damage, cardiovascular events, and pregnancy complications, and it improves survival. Yet many clinicians still prescribe HCQ as

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In this week's RheumIQ quiz: An RA patient has a current or new cancer. With which cancer should you avoid/stop the use of a TNF inhibitor? See if you got it right at https://t.co/DTabBEfjj9 https://t.co/tVYUEjAPy3

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
FDA has approved benralizumab (Fasenra) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients w/ hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES); based on the NATRON Phase III trial https://t.co/qqPsjhUClP https://t.co/lCZNoTh9fv

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ANCA-Assoc. Vasculitis has great Rx optionis, BUT still no reliable biomaker to predict relapse or renal outcomes, this includes IL-6. But there is hope for CD163 in the future. https://t.co/lFyfTPj5vG https://t.co/wLfOPz76JC

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Registry of 587 #SLE pts. 30% were RNP+ --> more dz activity than RNP- (SLEDAI-2 8.0 vs 4.0) and more Rx use (daily GC 6.8 vs 3 mg). RNP+  more renal, skin & serologic activity & less likely to LLDAS (20% vs 32%) or REM (12% vs 23%). RNP + 18-fold more likely to be Sm+ https://t.co/9i3BBGA0uu
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Meet the RheumNow #EULAR2026 Reporting Team Delivering real-time insights from the forefront of rheumatology: 🩺 Dr. Antoni Chan (@synovialjoints) 🩺 Dr. Mrinalini Dey (@DrMiniDey) 🩺 Dr. Jiha Lee (@JihaRheum) 🩺 Dr. Aurelie Najm (@AurelieRheumo) 🩺 Dr. Janet Pope https://t.co/zpIeGWpL6P
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Therapeutic Updates

Lupus Nephritis

Sponsored by RheumNow
Management of CKD in Lupus Nephritis Patients
View our six video perspectives on lupus nephritis, including Management of CKD in Lupus Nephritis.
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