Diagnosing Neuropsychiatric SLE (5.23.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from RheumNow.com - including views on the vagus nerve, NPSLE and CAR-T mania.
Read Article
Biologics in Pregnancy Patients With Autoimmune Disease
A large cohort, claims data study shows that among pregnant women receiving biologic therapies for autoimmune conditions, 72% continued their biologics pregnancy, more so among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients https://t.co/CH60gShlH0
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Lupus Unlocked: Pregnancy & SLE
đ
May 27, 2025
6:00 PM CT | 7:00 PM ET | 4PM PT
Join us for our final Lupus Unlocked webinar this month on pregnancy and SLE. In this webinar, panelists will discuss issues such as congenital heart block, lupus nephritis treatment, teratogenic https://t.co/gouTN7uzCo
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Any âtollâ in #toll #like #receptors 7,8 in #SLE
Cutaneous #lupus
In #systemic or #cutaneous wk16
Rx
PBO
V
#enpatoran
No obvious dose response - all 3 dose >PBO
Safe so far improves IFN
No toll to pay! đ
But need Ph3 data
#LUPUS2025 @EricFMorand @RheumNow https://t.co/2DDztlVsUm
Links:
Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )
Moving Targets in Lupus and Lupus Trials
In the 1990s, lupus treatment development became a major focus, but progress was slow. Belimumab was eventually approved by recognizing that trials could only show small differences from placebo, requiring 867 patients globally to https://t.co/xrj8r1iNxr
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
If vagus nerve stimulation improves RA; then what if vagotomy? Danish study of vagotomy (1977-1995). 6070 vagotomy matched w/ 60,699 comparators. Truncal vagotomy was assoc w/ signif incr RA incidence (OR 2.62), but not superselective vagotomy (OR 1.05). NO diff in incident OA https://t.co/Rs1EyrQd57
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
CAR-T and cellular depletion therapies gone wild! Currently there are over 85 different therapeutic candidates aiming to reset the immune system in >380 clinical trials. Review article looks at indications, targets, modalities & outlook. https://t.co/yleR4B48IY https://t.co/WwSPzIPomk
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
No Cancer Recurrence with Biologic DMARDs in RA
A prospective Danish rheumatoid arthritis (RA) registry study look at the risk of recurrence when a biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) was ued in patients with a a prior solid cancer (in remission) and found no increased
Tocilizumab vs. Methotrexate in Rheumatoid Arthritis
A large randomized rheumatoid arthritis (RA) clinical trial compared subcutaneous tocilizumab (TCZ) vs oral methotrexate (MTX) vs. the combination of subcutaneous TCZ and MTX, and showed that TCZ was superior to MTX, either given as TCZ monotherapy or in combination with MTX.
Read Article
Pregnancy planning, contraception and safe drugs in Pregancy.
Featuring Dr. Megan Clowse, Durham NC
https://t.co/sZuq475VJv https://t.co/HZv9FuviaR
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
SLE, Antiphospholipid Antibodies, and the Placenta
It is well established that women with SLE are at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia, preterm birth, and pregnancy loss. However, the pathophysiologic mechanisms driving these complications https://t.co/f8Up1112m9
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Vitiligo affects up to 2% of people globally; more in blacks & hispanics than whites & more common in women > men. The prevalence has increased over time. Oral corticosteroids are most frequently prescribed, followed by other immunosuppressive drugs https://t.co/wNh6z3lKg1 https://t.co/hQo9sNn4kg
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Biologics in Pregnancy Patients With Autoimmune Disease
A large cohort, claims data study shows that among pregnant women receiving biologic therapies for autoimmune conditions, 72% continued their biologics pregnancy, more so among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients than those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis (PsO) or psoriatic
Read Article
Emulation trials in SLE: Real or Fake?
Recently a landmark paper was published in A&R studying the results of an emulation trial. My colleagues and I were able to write an editorial on this paper and describe emulation trials.
https://t.co/0ulYG5xz0J https://t.co/y2jo2SSH83
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
FDA approved the chikungunya virus vaccine (Ixchiq) in 11/23, but recently announced caution and pause use while it investigates Postmarketing Safety Reports of 17 SAE (cardiac & neurologic) & 2 deaths. 6 SAE in the USA, elderly w/ chronic med conditions. ~80K doses of Ixchiq https://t.co/RED8Xab0Ir
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
FDA approved the chikungunya virus vaccine (Ixchiq) in 11/23, but recently announced caution and pause use while it investigates Postmarketing Safety Reports of 17 SAE (cardiac & neurologic) & 2 deaths. 6 SAE in the USA, elderly w/ chronic med conditions. ~80K doses of Ixchiq https://t.co/XadqMEmSuD
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
CDC: U.S. Overdose Deaths Decrease Almost 27% in 2024, dropping from 110,037 deaths (2023) to ~80,391(2024). Despite these improvements, overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 44. https://t.co/UXTaOPf3P7 https://t.co/1NQUfoZ1eK
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Is the nosology of CPPD outdated? Pseudogout to chondrocalcinosis? In 2011 EULAR taskforce rec the preferred term "calcium pyrophosphate deposition dz". G-CAN aims to update & standardised terminology for CPPD, requiring change to ICD-10 & adoption by societies https://t.co/mdqwDQN1po
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
#2 most downloaded paper in 2024 on Journal of Clinical Medicine was âIgA Vasculitis (HenochâSchönlein Purpura): An Update on Treatmentâ - Steroids are 1st line Rx, esp in adults w/ severe IgAV; other Rx include calcineurin inhibitors, MMF, RTX , https://t.co/F5jogxkoGr
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Telitacicept, recombinant fusion protein targeting BLyS & APRIL, studied in 41 Chinese SLE pts (added to standard Rx) showed mean improvements in SLEDAI-2K (10.0 to 6.25 @12 wks & 4.2 @24 wks;p<.001), daily prednisone (21 mg to 9.8mg) & proteinuria (2.8 gr to 1.3 gr/day) https://t.co/xtPMSZBoWg
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Is the nosology of CPPD outdated? Pseudogout to chondrocalcinosis? In 2011 EULAR taskforce rec the preferred term "calcium pyrophosphate deposition dz". G-CAN aims to update & standardised terminology for CPPD, requiring change to ICD-10 & adoption by societies https://t.co/wTdc0Tosc6
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Emulation trials in SLE: Real or Fake?
Recently a landmark paper was published in A&R studying the results of an emulation trial. My colleagues and I were able to write an editorial on this paper and describe emulation trials.
https://t.co/0ulYG5xz0J https://t.co/8oj8UDV9Dd
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Single-centre retrospective study, 27 children with refractory juvenile dermatomyositis (jDM) Rx with baricitinib (F/U of 25 mos)-- 77% (21/27) improved skin rashes (62% complete resolution) & Dz activity improved (6 vs 0.8, p<0.01) 70% (19/27) achieved inactive disease https://t.co/rRlhoY9O4q
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Vitamin D Headlines (5.9.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and lupus highlights from the past week on RheumNow.com. Triple positivity, the gut and CRPS, and hope for better outcomes with Vitamin D therapy.
Read Article
Glucocorticoids in SLE: how to start, how to follow, how to stop
More than 70 years after their first use in rheumatology by Philip Hench, glucocorticoids (GCs) continue to be one of the main weapons to fight systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). No other available medication https://t.co/H6N0N3BhhU
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Recent Blogs
