Fibromyalgia/Pain

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 )
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/B5tMq147L4
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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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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Join Drs. John J. Cush and Dr. Arthur Kavanaugh for the EULAR Rheumatology RoundUp — a dynamic, fast-paced discussion capturing the most impactful highlights, late-breaking data, and clinical takeaways from EULAR 2025. Tune in live on X-Live, Facebook Live, or YouTube Live for https://t.co/fcrWbwOLTx

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
#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

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
#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/GpC7QliKXH

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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

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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

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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

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
#EULAR2025 Abstr#OP0281 Not just shredding the weight but now also the pain! Another potential benefit of GLP-1 agonists - reducing symptoms of patients with Fibromyalgia. Propensity matched analysis using TrinetX database showed reduction on opiates, fatigue and pain @RheumNow https://t.co/oh6ecJmM5e

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Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof @Yuz6Yusof( View Tweet )
We can control inflammation in RA, but some pts still struggle with disease impact, despite improving with bDMARDs: - lower inflamm - higher comorbidities Doesn’t necessarily map to fibromyalgia dx Beyond Rx, this is the critical question CareRA/2000 #EULAR2025 OP0330 @RheumNow https://t.co/Th3smMgtVb

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
#neuromodulation in #rheumatoid #arthritis What is it? 👇 Autonomic & immune system interaction Who seeks this Rx? desperate pts w pain No Rx left Interested in technology #EULAR2025 @RheumNow @eular_org #D2T #RA https://t.co/XWWFiUK6Em

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Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )
The great debate: are cannabis and cannabinoids a valid treatment option in patients with rheumatic diseases? A thread 🧵👇🏼 @RheumNow #EULAR2025 https://t.co/KLZN9MvcFy

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Aurelie Najm @AurelieRheumo( View Tweet )
Interesting debate today #EULAR2025 about medical cannabis - where relative harms have come up. Would you rather be addicted to prescription opioids or recreational cannabis? (not going to argue about cannabis addiction - let’s say social impact is equal) @RheumNow

David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )

#polyrefractory #RA = failed all classes in #rheumatoid #arthritis +inflammatory #arthritis Longer disease duration Late RA Rx +power Doppler in POCUS ⬆️no refractory BMI Fibromyalgia - pain ⬇️SJC, less DAS , rapid X-ray progression #EULAR2025 @RheumNow #D2T #RA https://t.co/1sPwf3Qa3m

Links:

Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( 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/P8SKs3JNEx
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
#D2T #RA ~20% #Polyrefractory 3% Many reasons for d/c ing #Rx - D2T AEs Intolerance Chronic pain Etc My approach is different depending on reasons why drugs were d/c Ie ?obj inflammation vs pain or intolerance @RheumNow @eular_org #EULAR2025 #whatmakes D2T RA difficult https://t.co/AL6TMVJIk9

Links:

Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )
Pain & age predict outcomes in #osteoarthritis In a #cohort of 92 pts with #knee #OA Factors were studied for response Better ✅#NSAIDs or #acetaminophen v #opiates ✅Older ✅Lower #WOMAC PAIN & no sensitization 🤔help RCT inclusion #EULAR2025 @RheumNow POS0612 @eular_org https://t.co/9I2JN9sgUe

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Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )
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Intraarticular IL-1Ra Gene Therapy in Knee Osteoarthritis

Jack Cush, MD

De la Vega et al. have published in Science Translational Medicine the efficacy of an IL-1Ra gene therapy in adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

In a dose-escalation trial in nine participants, they observed that a single intra-articular injection of the gene

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brain headache neuro

Transcranial Stimulation is Effective in Fibromyalgia

Jack Cush, MD

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. 

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Recent Blogs

From DNA to PGA

David Pisetsky, MD, PhD
dna
I have been investigating the mechanisms of antinuclear antibody (ANA) expression in SLE since 1978. In this pursuit, I have followed the advice of my first division chief, Dr. Ralph Snyderman, a great academician.  Ralph told me to identify a research focus and make it mine. I think I have done reasonably well in my mission so you can imagine my surprise (and excitement) when, for the Lupus 2025 meeting in Toronto, I was asked to conduct a Meet the Professor session on the Type 1 & 2 model for SLE. Read Post

From the Archives: Rheumatology Dead Word Cemetery

Jack Cush, MD
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I recently heard of a secondary school assignment wherein students were challenged to “bury” a word that was no longer useful or appropriate. Their exercise has now evolved into an unofficial RheumNow task force to retire diagnostic terms that have grown into misuse in rheumatology and medicine. How did we decide which words should perish? And by what criteria? Who has the final say? Read Post
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