ANA Pollution (2.06.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal articles and regulatory news from this past week on RheumNow.com
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RheumNow Live 2026 begins TOMORROW— and there’s still time to join us virtually from anywhere.
As a virtual attendee, you’ll receive:
• Live streaming of all conference presentations
• Immediate access to speaker slides and pre-lecture handouts
• The ability to submit https://t.co/TLkQrcolkQ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Study shows half of FL autonomous nurse practitioners practicing outside their scope of practice. FL law allows autonomous NPs in primary care w/ 3K practice hrs. 194/328 NPs working in non-primary care: cosmetics, antiaging, IV hydration, vitamin infusions, hormonal Rx, https://t.co/WMksEb0Uyc
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Congratulations to Anca Dinu Askanase, MD, MPH, who has been appointed Chair of the Department of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at Hospital for Special Surgery https://t.co/L5mbFloLpK https://t.co/gsZm9Is159
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
FDA vs. Amgen: At Odds Over Avacopan
MedPage Today
The FDA has requested that Amgen voluntarily withdraw avacopan (Tavneos), a treatment for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, but the company said it has no plans to pull the drug from the market.
Originally developed by ChemoCentryx, the oral
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ACR Applauds Recent Government Funding
ACR
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today applauded the recent passage of the Congressional CY 26 funding package that includes several important provisions, including extending Medicare telehealth payment flexibilities, improving transparency in pharmacy benefit management (PBM)
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Hiring, Onboarding and Training APPs
Tuesday Night Rheumatology: Hiring, Onboarding and Training APPs. Visit our Mission APP: Partners in Care site for more APP-focused articles and videos.
https://t.co/CGrXSCrp9n https://t.co/wYkb6C1IEW
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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ALTO: Long-Term Abatacept Outcomes in At-Risk RA
Lancet Rheumatology has published the ALTO results - long term outcomes of the APIPPRA trial, demonstrating that treatment with abatacept (ABA) in at risk patients can delay progression to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for up to 4 years.
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Giant Cell Arteritis Outcomes in Canada
A retrospective cohort study of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) demonstrates relapses are common and seen in nearly half of patients, were common after treatment is stopped and is not effectively averted by methotrexate (MTX).
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RheumNow Live Preview (1.30.2026)
Top 5 reasons to attend RheumNow Live 2026:
It's cold and far, but you can be there virtually, online
Full access to handouts, slides & downloads, and all session recordings
Saturday concert with Colin Boyd
Dr. Rohit Aggarwal does TWO STEP
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Which Fibromyalgia Drugs are Cost-Effective?
A cost-effectiveness analysis compared FDA approved fibromyalgia drugs (pregabalin, duloxetine, milnacipran) with amitriptyline and found duloxetine was the preferred strategy across perspectives.
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SGLT2 Inhibitors in Gout - Better Outcomes, Fewer Meds
EurekAlert!
Natalie McCormick, PhD, of the Rheumatology and Allergy Clinical Epidemiology Research (RACER) Center within the Division of Rheumatology in the Mass General Brigham Department of
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The countdown is ON! 🕒 We are officially less than ONE WEEK away from RheumNow Live.
If Spondyloarthritis is part of your clinical world, you can't miss sessions with:
🔹 Dr. Denis Poddubnyy
🔹 Dr. Jessica Walsh
🔹 Dr. Catherine Bakewell
In Dallas or Virtual—don't miss out!
🔗 https://t.co/UM6j7TiNAA
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Congratulations to Dr. Cheryl Barnabe for receiving the 2026 Distinguished Investigator Award from the Canadian Rheumatology Association, for her excellence in rheumatology research & clinical care. Dr. Barnabe is a professor at the University of Calgary https://t.co/xxNI8qR9sn https://t.co/zHkAOoyD7f
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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Canada's 2025 Top 10 Funded Rheumatology Projects
Arthritis Society
Arthritis Society Canada (ASC) is Canada’s largest charitable funder of cutting-edge arthritis research, investing more than $240 million in research projects since its founding, and over $7 million invested in 2024-2025. Below are the investigators and projects that were funded in 2025.
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Methotrexate intolerance in rheumatoid arthritis
A current large rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort study from Cairo assessed methotrexate (MTX) use and found over half were MTX intolerant and a third of patients were noncompliant with MTX.
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Testing for RF, CCP, ESR and CRP
Check out the accompanying Advanced Practice Rheum: Rheumatoid and Inflammation Testing video.
https://t.co/4hkDO1M2UD https://t.co/APRKYLAS3k
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
UK NHS has cut use of physician associates over ‘substitute doctor’ fear. The reduction in roles is being blamed by union leaders for an increasing in waiting times and consultants’ workload. Plus 76% of PAs said their scope of practice had been restricted in recent months. GMC https://t.co/i0l4x9UVhZ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
PA Assn President position on DES/gov Proposed Rule on Federal Student Loans "... loan rule is deeply flawed, outside the Dept’s authority...inconsistent w/.. Trumps rural healthcare workforce priorities.. excluding PAs will decimate US healthcare workforce pipeline" https://t.co/p5owv3Ui2B
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Aortitis in Giant Cell Arteritis Treated with Tocilizumab
The The Tocilizumab in Giant Cell Arteritis Spanish Collaborative Group studied giant cell arteritis with aortitis, comparing the efficacy of intravenous vs. subcutaneously (SC) tocilizumab (TCZ) - demonstrating the superiority of SC TCZ.
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Electronic EHR reminders to deprescribe works! EHR study of 1146 pts(mean 74 yrs) showed 2 methods of E-reminder notifications resulted in either a 10.4% or 6.5% deprescribing (vs usual care); deprescribing was 40% more likely (RR 1.40; 95% CI, 1.14-1.73) https://t.co/sXnW5gUP0q https://t.co/n9LhUG612M
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Retractions in Rheumatology
Retraction of rheumatology studies is not uncommon; a recent analysis shows retractions have risen substantially.
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APP Survey Results: 2017 and 2025
https://t.co/UEfYsKL74u https://t.co/SYTA7OOOvV
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
TOPKAT Trial: Partial vs Total Knee Replacement
MedPage Today
Patients with osteoarthritis (OA) primarily affecting only one knee joint compartment did just as well with partial knee replacement (PKR) as with total arthroplasty after 10 years in a randomized trial -- and maybe a little bit better.
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2026 SPARTAN Annual Meeting (May 14-16; Toronto) is now accepting abstract submissions! A premier mtg brings together cutting-edge researchers and teachers in spondyloarthritis (SpA). Submit your abstracts by Feb 1st!! https://t.co/IBXEkSxpDy https://t.co/cS7exDUc9H
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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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The Impact of Obesity on Psoriatic Arthritis
Sponsored by Lilly Medical Affairs
Obesity is common in PsA and may worsen disease activity and reduce treatment effectiveness through shared inflammatory pathways. Weight intervention may improve outcomes and support achievement of targets of disease control.
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