Repurposing & Pipeline (8.8.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, reports, pipeline and drug repurposing on this week’s podcast.
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Survey of 39 Spanish rheumatologists (mean age 50 yrs, 9.6 yrs in practice) finds that while 79% agreed on the importance of using Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), only 28% use them routinely (mostly pain, VAS, HAQ) - reason? Time! https://t.co/YnZBXlK24M https://t.co/a8W52XO8jh
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), (a reversible precursor to dementia) is increased in elderly RA (n=378) and is signif. assoc w/ course of disease(OR 1.07), DAS28 (OR 1.31), high CRP (OR 1.01) & osteoporosis (OR 1.88) as independent risk factors. https://t.co/45DY03sD23 https://t.co/kdX9TnykVK
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Plant extracts, C. longa & B. serrata extracts (CBTIL) studied in hand OA in 3 mos, DBRPCT of 162 HOA pts given CBTIL (n83) or PBO (n 79). Also signif were decreased Pt global, acceptable symptom status (PASS), SF-36 pain, SF36 health change (no AE diff) https://t.co/vqhqnEZIsz https://t.co/XuCX0zc4qD
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
NHANES, Numbers, & Risk (7.18.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com along with interesting case questions from "Ask Cush Anything".
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Americans choose short term relief for neck and back pain
EurekAlert!
New survey data from the Orlando Health Spine Center reveals a significant difference among Americans on how to manage neck and back pain. Respondents were split between relying on rest and reduced activity (44%), turning to over-the-counter pain
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Genicular nerve block (GNB) is effective intervention for Knee OA. Metanalysis of 6 RCTs & 420 KOA pts. GNB significantly reduced pain & improved function (p<0.003), w/ significant relief as early as 2wks and function by 12 weeks. https://t.co/wC2dPvVR7x https://t.co/HCFSXBfVGM
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Rheums! Question or case for Jack Cush? Record it here and we may feature it on an upcoming podcast.
https://t.co/HsqM9xLNtP https://t.co/voONsOLeSK
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Hmmm Really? (7.11.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week - some obvious, other new thoughts and some - hmmm, reallly?
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Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)is a structural cause of dysphagia due to anterior cervical osteophytes. Retrospective study 208 dysphagia pts w/ head/neck CT. DISH was Dx in 39%; predicted by low serum albumin, COPD, & chronic pain https://t.co/zrn4dnCtLc https://t.co/svE6khmUEm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Genicular nerve block (GNB) is effective intervention for Knee OA. Metanalysis of 6 RCTs & 420 KOA pts. GNB significantly reduced pain & improved function (p<0.003), w/ significant relief as early as 2wks and function by 12 weeks. https://t.co/NMtiQPICpw https://t.co/gVJ0TyuY01
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ICYMI: ACP: Best Practice Advice on Cannabis or Cannabinoids Use for Chronic Noncancer Pain
The American College of Physicians published a best practice advisory on cannabis or cannabinoids in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
https://t.co/mQI2g4W4hX https://t.co/BhfQtI792M
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ICYMI: Consensus Against Interventional Injections for Chronic Spinal Pain
BMJ has published a clinical practice guideline resulting from the work of an international, multidisciplinary panel addressing chronic spine pain (≥3 months duration) not associated with cancer or inflammatory arthropathy. This is a chronic (not acute) spine pain guideline.
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ICYMI: ACP: Best Practice Advice on Cannabis or Cannabinoids Use for Chronic Noncancer Pain
The American College of Physicians published a best practice advisory on cannabis or cannabinoids in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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TONIX pharm presented two phase 3 RCTs at #EULAR2025 demonstrating efficacy of sublingual cylcobenzaprine at bedtime in w/ significant reductions in Fibromyalgia pain scores. TNX-102 SL could be the 1st new FM drug to be FDA approved in >15 yrs. PDUFA (decision) date is 8.15.25. https://t.co/XNd8uYLQsJ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Resilience or Resignation? Rethinking Pain, Aging, and Quality of Life
Dr. Jiha Lee reports on abstract POS0402 - THE ROLE OF AGEING IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE: THE MAASTRICHT STUDY - presented at the 2025 EULAR https://t.co/AiP57hXIRB
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Simple Measures are Effective in Knee Osteoarthritis
EurekAlert!
Knee braces, water therapy and exercise are the most promising non-drug therapies for treating knee osteoarthritis, according to a new meta-analysis publishing June 18, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Yuan Luo of the First People’s Hospital of Neijiang, China.
Knee
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#EULAR2025 TriNetX database study indicated that fibromyalgia patients who used glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist drugs were less likely to use opioids and to report pain, fatigue, and malaise compared with propensity-matched non-users https://t.co/ftm93VwW65 https://t.co/2wloutoX8a
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Transcranial Stimulation is Effective in Fibromyalgia
A randomized, controlled clinical trial in fibromyalgia (FM) has shown the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (A-tDCS) (along with exercise and pain neuroscience education [PNE]), in alleviating the pain. https://t.co/kJk1R8ubqk
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Highlights @eular_org #EULAR2025
RCTs + in CTD/RA #ILD w #PPF LB0003
Lots of #CAR-T studies in #SARDs
Lots of bDMARDs in
#SLE
#APS
#IgG4
#SjD
Neurostimulation 👇
⬇️inflammation
⬇️pain
#RA
#fibromyalgia
#EULAR2025 @RheumNow @eular_org
Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )
Joint pain and fatigue are actually the biggest issues for people living with haemochromatosis, but we in rheumatology don’t have organized care for them.
A call to action from Patrick Kiely, to do better by these patients
#EULAR2025 @RheumNow https://t.co/h3Zvov642L
David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
Older adults with chronic MSK pain report lower physical health—but better mental health—than younger peers.
Fewer missed work days, too.
Is this resilience, adaptation, or shifting expectations with age?
POS0402 @RheumNow #EULAR2025
Jiha Lee @JihaRheum( View Tweet )
Presenteeism and absenteeism in RA aren’t just about joints. In this UK study, comorbid anxiety, depression, and OA drove lost productivity.
Treating RA is not enough —holistic management matters.
POS0403 @RheumNow #EULAR2025
Jiha Lee @JihaRheum( View Tweet )
#EULAR2025 Abstr#POS1155 Fatigue remains a management challenge in #SLE. Consistent with other endpoints achieved, Dapirolizumab+SOC improved fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue & FATIGUE-PRO) over PBO+SOC in a Phase 3 RCT @RheumNow https://t.co/rYujy2YjBl
Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof @Yuz6Yusof( View Tweet )
Targets for OA pain pharmacotherapies
some by the wayside:
- NGF
- TrkA
but some very much in play and exciting:
- neurotrophin-3
- TRPV1
- Nav1.7, 1.8
Fiona Watt #EULAR2025 @RheumNow https://t.co/DXDKNnVRRo
David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
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