UCB announced topline results of the BE-BOLD head-to-head study where bimekizumab (IL-17i) was superior to risankizumab (IL-23i) study; 553 active PsA in achieving an ACR50 response at 16 weeks. Enrolled PsA pts were either bilogic naïve or who had previous exposure to 1 TNFi buff.ly/pJNq2aD
Rheumatic Immune-related Adverse Effects with Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
rheumnow.com/news/rheumat...
Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors lower serum uric acid levels, by approximately 0.6 to 1.5 mg/dL. They increase renal uric acid excretion via a uricosuric effect), thereby reducing gout risk by 30% to 50%. www.frontiersin.org/journals/pha...
Metanalysis of calcineurin inhib. in RA - 11 RCTs, 1793 RA pts. Cyclosporin (CSA( (RR 1.6 & Tacrolimus (TAC (RR 2.1) signif improved ACR20 responses. CSA was dose dependent, less so w/ TAC. Both require serum Creat. monitoring consistent increase in s-Cr onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
2 RCTs of 699 children Tx in ER for acute limb injury compared 1 dose of oral acetaminophen or hydromorphone to ibuprofen - none significantly reduce self-reported pain scores at 60 minutes. Use of hydromorphone resulted in a 4-fold increase in adverse events. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
American Academy of Physician Associates is determined to change PA to mean 'physician associate' in USA. Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon have adopted it, but the AMA is opposed. This has become a legislative, financial and legal issue. nationaltoday.com/us/nh/lebano...
Prebiotic fibre improves knee OA. 117 older adults w/ KOA Rx w/ 6wks of inulin (fibre) or Physiotherapy exercise (PSE) or both vs PBO. Both Inulin & PSE signif improved pain & PSE vs PBO ( −1.11 to -2.5; p <0.045); inulin also improved pain sensitivity & grip strength www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18...
NEJM: Obinutuzumab in Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
A phase 3 trial of obinutuzumab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, showed potent B-cell depletion and clinical efficacy active systemic lupus erythematosus without evidence of nephritis.
buff.ly/hAAtJCm
Long-Term Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy Risk
About one in 18 patients taking hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for 15 years develop retinal damage, a new meta-analysis indicated.
buff.ly/UQ9M3Cu
AI model was superior in diagnosing Acromegaly from dorsal hand photographs - w. sensitivity 0.89, specificity 0.91, PPV 0.88, NPV 0.93, F1-score of 0.89, AUC 0.96, outperforming specialists, Study of 716 pts (317 acromegaly; 399 controls) & 11480 images. academic.oup.com/jcem/advance...
Basic, full-read overview of "JAK inhibitors: risks and safety principles" from the Pharmaceutical Journal. Addresses MOA, indications, warnings, monitoring, adverse effects, interactions, Serious AEs, vaccination and best practices. pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/ld/j...
UCB announced topline results of the BE-BOLD head-to-head study where bimekizumab (IL-17i) was superior to risankizumab (IL-23i) study; 553 active PsA achieving an ACR50 at 16 weeks. Enrolled PsA pts were either bilogic naïve or who had previous exposure to 1 TNFi www.ucb-usa.com/stories-medi...
TYK2 Inhibitor Deucravacitinib FDA Approved for Psoriatic Arthritis
On Friday, March 6th, the FDA approved deucravacitinib (Sotyktu) for the treatment of adults with active PsA based on the results of the pivotal Phase 3 POETYK PsA-1 and POETYK PsA-2 clinical trials.
buff.ly/bpr3xlk
Swiss study 1st TNFi efficacy in 3324 axial spondy (axSpA) (≤1 yr=very early Dz,441; 1-2 yrs =early axSpA, 218; >2 yrs=establi axSpA, 2575). After adjusting for age/sex, B27, etc, no signif. difference seen when TNFi started w/ outcomes: TNFi retention, or ASDAS <2.1 rmdopen.bmj.com/content/12/1...
Korean National Insurance claims study (2010–2023) of treatment persistence of IL-17i vs TNFi (IL-17i: 375; TNFi: 1285) in 1660 axSpA pts found equal Tx durations. However, primary nonresponse D/C was significantly higher w/ TNFi vs IL-17i (adj HR 1.54 to 2.11) journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
Annual fibromyalgia survey (FIRST) in axSpA pts in the DESIR cohort. FM was found in 22% (& assoc w/ less HLA-B27+ & XRay sacroiliitis, equal MRI SI a& ^ CRP. FM/AxSpA had less self-reported Dz activity, QOL, more disability & more likely to Rx w/ TNFi (64% vs 41%) ard.eular.org/article/S000...
RheumNow.Live 2026 — On Demand
Catch the sessions everyone in rheumatology is talking about:
• RA advances
• PsA decisions
• Spondyloarthritis updates
• Autoimmune disease highlights
• Vasculitis insights
Full recordings + slides available now.
$250 access
🔗https://rheumnow.live/pages/home
UBER Rheumatology Ride (3.6.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this week on RheumNow.
buff.ly/mWXaJHS
The Role of Calcineurin Inhibitors in Lupus Nephritis
In the US, lupus nephritis affects 40–50% of SLE patients, significantly impacting morbidity and mortality. There are notable differences in clinical management approaches.
buff.ly/ae7x2M8
Osteoporosis: Thinking outside the box
Osteoporosis care keeps evolving. We have newer agents, newer sequencing strategies, and an increasing number of patients asking for “less medicinal” options that go beyond a prescription.
buff.ly/tQpBReV
Poor sleep increases risk of #RA. English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. RA risk was signif. higher in those with moderate sleep quality (SQ) (HR 1.23) or poor SQ (HR 1.50), cmpared to good SQ. Partly mediated by depression link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Physician Assistant Workforce Grew 28% in USA (2020 To 2024), reaching 189,188 PAs; increased in every state (lease in Alaska 10%, most in SCarolina 48%,(to 2,984 in 2024). In 2024, there were 55.6 PAs/100,000 population openminds.com/market-intel...
Update on FDA complete response letter to AZ regarding BLA hold for anifrolumab (Saphnelo) for SC use in SLE. CRL issued 10/10/25, & announced 2/3/26. FDA CRL cites critical data quality w/ key analyses in SC-TULIP. A BLA decision expected in 1st half of 2026 www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/fda-c...
Muscular strength is a resilience marker relevant to function. A prospective cohort study of 5472 women (mean 79 yrs), showed that greater muscular strength (grip strength, chair stand time) was assoc w/ lower mortality (HR 0.85- 0.67) jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
B cell Targeted CAR-T Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases
The review by Qi Li and colleagues provides a comprehensive examination of the progression, clinical applications, challenges, and future directions of B-cell-targeted CAR-T therapy across multiple autoimmune conditions.
buff.ly/HKfousi
FDA has approved deucravacitinib (Sotyktu) the Treatment of Adults with Active Psoriatic Arthritis based on the results of the pivotal Phase 3 POETYK PsA-1 and POETYK PsA-2 clinical trials. Sotyktu is the only tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor to be approved for PsA news.bms.com/news/corpora...
Observational study of 42 Mexican lupus nephritis pts on Immunosuppressives + Calcineurin Inhibitors (CNIs) @ 12 mos complete & partial responses seen in 26% & 36%, w/ signif reduction in proteinuria (2.89 vs 0.72 g/d, p < .001), & transient decrease in eGFR at 12 mo (109 vs 114) buff.ly/rlzgQ5g
IL-23i fails in GCA? Small RCT of 53 GCA pts (age 71 yrs; 60% new; 40% relapsing GCA) 35 given Guselkumab vs 18 on PBO. Wk 28 GC free remission in 40% vs 33% (P .64), also w/ similar flare rates (31% v 39%). results didnt supportguselkumab use in GCA. buff.ly/mDxguVK
Diacerin, an IL-1β blocker, compared to placebo in a 262 pt RCT of knee pain, Knee #OA w/ inflammation. After 24 wks, 88% completed the trial & (vs PBO) diacerein did not improve knee pain (−19.9 vs −18.6 mm). 42% had AE/ GI Sxs were more w/ diacerein (42% vs 25% PBO buff.ly/opQUl0E
US Epidemiologic survey data from NHANES gout prevalence is incr. in RA pts vs controls (10.3% vs. 4.8%, P < 0.001), increasing trend over time. RA is as an independent risk factor for gout (OR: 2.67), strongest in SNRA. Evidence for the converse may not be as strong. buff.ly/aFpNc4r
