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IL-6

#RNL2023 Year in Review New Drugs in Old Disease? GCA - Tocilizumab (GiACTA ), Secikinumab (TitAIN), Mavrilimumab (GM-CSFr mAb) PMR - Sarilumab (SAPHYR), TCZ (PMR-Spare, SEMAPHORE), Tofacitinib (EAST PMR) @RheumNow https://t.co/cY2HuaI6uM
An exciting year and time for GCA and PMR treatment! - Tocilizumab (IL-6i) - Secukinumab (IL-17i) - Sarilumab (IL-6i) - Mavrilimumab (GM-CSF receptor mAb) - Tofacitinib (JAKinib) @RheumNow #RNL2023 https://t.co/d0T2RAssFY
Limitations of IL6 and some unanswered questions in GCA ? By Dr.Robert Spiera #RNL2023 ⁦@RheumNow⁩ https://t.co/3tJpRhmFAJ
IL-6 for PMR SPARE and SEMAPORE (Toci), SAPHYR (Sari) 2/2023: FDA approves sarilumab for PMR for inadequate response to corticosteroids or unable to taper off Robert Spiera @RheumNow #RNL2023 https://t.co/quOWjJjgB3
Dr. Robert Spiera on Recent IL-6i in PMR treatment: SPARE and SEMAPHORE study - Tocilizumab SAPHYR - Sarilumab (now FDA approved for PMR tx) @RheumNow #RNL2023 https://t.co/gofe54wSjo
Dr Brenner at #RNL2023 Excellent description on how fibroblasts are major producers of IL-6 producers Clinically presents a target for blocking the fibroblasts, upstream the inflammatory cascade in RA @RheumNow https://t.co/TserFZtvhV

Big Time Vasculitis (3.10.2023)

Mar 10, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush Reviews the News and Journal articles from the past week on RheumNow. This weeks highlights includes insights on scleroderma, myositis, vasculitis and answers the question - does aggressive biologic treatment of psoriasis prevent future psoriatic arthritis?




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Glucocorticoid (GC)-free resolution of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) signs and symptoms in patients treated with sarilumab with history of flare: analysis from SAPHYR

Sponsored by Sanofi
Mar 09, 2023

The poster reports post-hoc results from the SAPHYR study on the resolution of PMR signs and symptoms regardless of glucocorticoid (GC) use and GC-free resolution of PMR signs and symptoms over time. GC-free resolution of PMR signs and symptoms was maintained from week 16 to week 52 in majority

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Sarilumab in Patients with Relapsing Polymyalgia Rheumatica: A Phase 3, Multicenter, Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial (SAPHYR)

Sponsored by Sanofi
Mar 09, 2023

The poster describes the results of SAPHYR study that assessed the safety and efficacy of sarilumab in PMR patients who flared on tapering glucocorticoid (GC) dose. The study met its primary endpoint with higher number of patients achieving sustained remission with sarilumab 200 mg Q2W + 14-week

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Patient reported outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Phase 3 Trial of Sarilumab in Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Sponsored by Sanofi
Mar 09, 2023

The poster reports the patient reported outcomes from the SAPHYR study. Patients treated with sarilumab 200mg Q2W + 14-week GC had clinically meaningful and robust improvement in patient reported outcomes compared to patients receiving placebo + 52-week GC.

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NSAIDs in Pregnancy (3.3.2023)

Mar 03, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the lastest journal articles, news, and FDA announcements from the past week on RheumNow.  This week, the importance of IFNa, Subclinical PsA and NSAID safety during Pregnancy.




  1. Study of 87 pts with isolated Nail Psoriasis noted that 11% went on to have

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Sarilumab is FDA Approved for PMR

Mar 01, 2023

Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sarilumab (Kevzara) for the treatment of adults with active, refractory polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), stipulating it is indicated in those patients who have had an inadequate response to corticosteroids or who cannot tolerate

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Treat-to-Target Guidelines for GCA and PMR

Feb 28, 2023

The Annals of Rheumatic Disease has published updated multinational, treat-to-target (T2T) recommendations for the treatment of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).



The task force of 29 members from 10 countries developed five overarching principles

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Half the Experts are Wrong (2.17.2023)

Feb 17, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and tries to stump the expert panel this week on the podcast.

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Drug Safety Differences with New Novel Therapies in RA

Feb 14, 2023

Safety outcomes for targeted synthetic or biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/ts DMARDs) used to treat RA were studied using data from the Anti-Rheumatic Therapies in Sweden (ARTIS) registry, showing that these newer agents are largely similar, but still have particular

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Have a Rheumatology question or case for Jack Cush? Record it here and we may feature it on an upcoming podcast. Tell us your name and where you practice rheumatology. https://t.co/RaFKTqhQjN https://t.co/hH0NcpOoyx

JAK-pot Study: To Cycle or Switch after JAK inhibitor Failure?

Jan 23, 2023

Data from 17 international registries (JAK-pot collaboration) suggest that for Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients failing their first janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi), it did not matter if they were cycled to another JAKi or switched to a biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD).

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2022 Rheumatology Year in Review (1-6-2023)

Jan 06, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the best of 2022 in Rheumatology - highlights on new drug indications, breakthrough lupus therapies, new biosimilars and the multivitamin letdown.

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2022 Rheumatology Year in Review

Jan 05, 2023

2022 was a year of recovery, discovery, and some losses.  While still dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19, rheumatologists were resilient as leaders for their patients and research in advancing rheumatologic care.

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In Giant Cell Arteritis, Hospital Admission Is Bad News

MedPage Today
Jan 03, 2023

One-third of patients admitted with giant cell arteritis (GCA) were rehospitalized within 6 months, largely because of complications potentially related to corticosteroid therapy, researchers found in a retrospective cohort study.



Among the cohort of 1,206 patients hospitalized with

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Best of 2022: EULAR 2022 Top 10 Abstracts

Dec 23, 2022

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the top abstracts from EULAR 2022  As chosen by me with the aid of the RheumNow EULAR faculty. “Top” is relative and subjective, but my criteria for inclusion are based on impact, water cooler talk potential, innovation and social media buzz.  Speaking of social media…

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2022 ACR/EULAR Giant Cell Arteritis Classification Criteria

Dec 12, 2022

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) has historically been a clinical diagnosis (visual loss, headache, jaw pain, scalp tenderness, etc) supported by labs and histopathology. Yet the diagnosis and classification of GCA has evolved, so much so that the ACR and EULAR have updated the 1990 Classification

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Rheum Drugs & IDSA Guidelines to Treat COVID-19

Dec 01, 2022

The Infectious Diseases Society of America has recently updated its recommendations with regards to the treatment of severely ill, hospitalized COVID-19 infected patients and also about the appropriate use of anti-IL-6, JAKs and colchicine.

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ACR22: Polymyalgia Rheumatica in the Spotlight

One of the enduring legacies of ACR 2022 for me will be the emphasis on polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Despite being highly inflammatory and relatively common, a remarkable paucity of trials have been run in this space. Read on for a quick PMR-roundup from the meeting! 

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Are TNFi or IL-6Ri safe in rheumatic irAEs from ICI Rx? Multiple big US centers retrospective: TNFi, IL-6Ri vs MTX p>0.05, but may be approx 2x risk of cancer progression Has made me more cautious about TNFi, IL-6Ri - use MTX when you can Lovely work! ABST1669 #ACR22 @RheumNow https://t.co/cfAT1pQZ7I
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