Rheumnow Podcast

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and major articles from this week, including FDA safety warnings, reports from AAD, PsA trials.

Dr. Schwartzman and Dr. Ruderman discuss how PsA disease activity across GRAPPA domains may guide treatment decisions, sharing both the evidence for and their experience with a JAKi across domains. Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the journal reports and news from RheumNow.com. This week we discuss moral distress, FM in PsA, Lyme Vax is back & hidden but tangible benefits of the MDHAQ.

This month: Multiple FDA regulatory decisions germane to dermatology, psoriasis and lupus; and Eosinophilic Fasciitis (EF) reminder and should you worry about fibromyalgia? Show Notes: 1. FDA Approves Icotrokinra for Plaque Psoriasis The FDA approved an oral IL-23 inhibitor, icotrokinra (Icotyde), for use in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults and children 12 years of age and older who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy, according to a https://t.co/q5b3TceFHx 2. FDA has approved secukinumab (Cosentyx) for use pediatric patients (aged 12yrs) with moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa https://t.co/oX4LGU16QP 3. FDA has accepted the supplemental biologics license application for use of interleukin-23 inhibitor tildrakizumab (Ilumya; Sun Pharma) in active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adults. https://t.co/cwqz9DoWsL https://t.co/ut0A4MwqW7 4. 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. https://t.co/a6rmortnoS 5.vUCB 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 6. Retrospective TriNetX Network cohort study of adult PsA (N 123,031) pts, propensity- matched to non-PsA controls. PsA had signif higher CV morbidity: MACE (HR 1.74); mortality (HR 1.95); CHF (HR 1.96), MI (HR 1.71), & CVA (HR 1.49). bDMARDs reduced MACE (HR 0.95) & mortality (HR 0.92) vs csDMARDs https://t.co/bHrq9KpwBM 7. Prevalence of fibromyalgia in PsA = 18%. FM-PsA pts have higher scores Dz activity scores from FM, rather than inflammation. Fibromyalgia is assoc w/ worse disease outcomes, including failure to achieve low disease activity state and poorer response to therapy. https://t.co/utQRXPmpDs 8. JAMA Patient Education Page on JAMA Eosinophilic Fasciitis (EF). EF is rare, but begins with swelling and redness of the arms and/or legs. Later the skin thickens and develops the peau d' orange appearance. EF does not involve fingers or toes, & doesnt have Raynauds https://t.co/WEFFITtmQC 9. REVEAL, a 5-yr real-world study of 236 SLE pts initiating anifrolumab (basekbube SLEDAI-2K 7 for mucocutaneous (67%) & MSK (49%) dz. At 6 months, 26% achieved remission, 66% reached LLDAS, and 57% achieved LLDAS5. Authors claim rapid onset of action https://t.co/16OQatOcPj https://t.co/mU9aciCNcH 10. Update on FDA complete response letter to AZ regarding BLA hold for anifrolumab (Saphnelo) for SC use in SLE. CRL originally issued 10/10/25, but announced 2/3/26. FDA CRL cites critical data quality w/ key analyses in SC-TULIP study. A BLA decision expected in 1st half of 2026 https://t.co/zuwtsdL6I9 11. NEJM: Obinutuzumab in Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus https://rheumnow.com/news/nejm-obinutuzumab-active-systemic-lupus-erythematosus

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the regulatory actions, news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com

STEP: Obesity and Inflammation: Weight management in Rheumatology. Dr. Uzma Haque STEP: Mitigating Risk for Rheumatic Disease Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Susan Goodman

STEP: Disease Modification in OA - Dr. Tuhina Neogi STEP: History of Gout - Dr. Robert Terkeltaub

Rheumatoid Arthritis Faculty Panel Q&A

ILD in RA - Recent Advances. Dr. Jeffrey Sparks

The Mucosal Hypothesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Dr. Kristin Demoruelle

Mortality in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Story of Decline, Delay, or Plateau? Dr. Elena Myasoedova

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, regulatory decisions and new journal articles.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this week on RheumNow.com

The Derm on RheumNow podcast is a collection of Citations and Content curated for dermatologists – addressing Psoriasis, PsA, CLE, vasculitis, HS, other CTD skin disorders. dermatology drugs, biiologics, JAKs - their use, efficacy and side effects. Features Dr. Jack Cush, Editor at RheumNow.com. SHOW NOTES FDA sent a complete response letter to AstraZeneca on their application (BLA) for anifrolumabs (Saphnelo) subcutaneous use in SLE. Despite a positive TULIP-SC trial & EU approval of SC-anifrolumab, FDA & sponsor still have to work things out. CRL reasons are unknown https://t.co/3dNwEyolrj Review of Calcinosis Cutis - Surgical intervent. most effective (excision, curettage, laser ablation, etc). Medical measures inconsistently, partially effective, best if used early & localized (CCB, TCN, probenecid, immunomodulation, biologics, colchicine, NA thiosulfate, & JAKi https://t.co/rv0hQBv6nX Systematic Review of Targeted Rx for Systemic Sclerosis: from 32 RCTs & 2036 pts Rx w/ 23 targeted agents. Guselkumab had greatest effect on mRSS, followed by tofacitinib, inebilizumab, & baricitinib. For FVC, B-cell Rx (belimumab, RTX) had highest efficacy https://buff.ly/vHOSRws Dermatomyositis outcomes w/ 2475 pts (claims) & 1196 pts (EHR). Half had myositis panels & 35% had + MSAbs. Steroid use common in 69% & 74%. HCQ, MTX, MMF. Outocmes (per 1000PYs) wereL all-cause hospitalisation 92, malignancy 15.3, ILD 6.4, and myocarditis 2.1 https://t.co/DJqKGNGX76 Danish DERMBIO registry of psoriasis pts Rx w/ biologics. Among 3790 bionaive pts ustekinumab had best 1-5 yr survival vs (ADA & SEC). In 3403 bioexperienced pts, bimekizumab, guselkumab, & risankizumab had highest 2-year drug survival rate. https://t.co/TInyLPMYkb Real-world study of 1202 #PsA pts shows that secukinumab retention rates were lower w/ smoking (79%/73%/72% in never/former/current smokers) but not w/ obesity (72%/77%/77% in normal/overweight/obese), Adh HR signif. higher w/ former (1.32) & current smokers (1.27) https://t.co/1REWmod73W Together PSO Trial - Combination Ixekizumab and Tirzepatide Today Lilly announced top line results of the TOGETHER-PsO open-label, Phase 3b trial demonstrating the significant benefits of concomitant ixekizumab (IXE: an IL-17A inhibitor) and tirzepatide (TIR: GLP-1agonist) over https://t.co/YWCjN2NyGM

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com. Highlights include referral rules, combination biiologics in psoriasis and don't use JAK inhibitors in pregnancy.

Dr.Jack Cush reviews the hot item takeaways from last weeks RheumNow.Live 2026 Diet & Obesity Management in Rheumatology - Uzma Haque, MD Mitigating risk for Rheum patients undergoing orthopedic surgery - Susan Goodman, MD Paradoxical skin reactions – Dr. Joseph Merola Mortality in RA - Elena Myasoedova, MD The Mucosal Hypothesis to RA - Kristin Demourelle, MD Advances in ILD - Jeffrey Sparks, MD Seronegative vs. Seropositive RA - Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal articles and regulatory news from this past week on RheumNow.com

The Derm on RheumNow podcast is a collection of Citations and Content curated for dermatologists – addressing Psoriasis, PsA, CLE, vasculitis, HS, other CTD skin disorders. dermatology drugs, biiologics, JAKs - their use, efficacy and side effects. Features Dr. Jack Cush, Editor at RheumNow.com. SHOW NOTES Lupus Accelerating Breakthroughs Consortium commissioned a stakeholders group (including the FDA) to assess drug development in Cutaneous lupus CLE), and they have endorsed CLASI (CLE Dz Area & Severity Index) as the outcome measure for CLE clinical trials. https://t.co/q7If97AHBa PAPA Syndrome: When Sterile Inflammation Mimics Infection (Pyogenic Arthritis, Pyoderma gangrenosum, Acne) •A rare monogenic autoinflammatory disease •Caused by gain-of-function mutations in PSTPIP1 🧠 Pathophysiology •Mutant PSTPIP1 - increased interaction with pyrin https://t.co/tJ4INdgfky Turkish study of 128 Psoriatics (62 PSO, 66 PsA) found more periodontitis in PsA vs PSO (47% vs 31%; P=.058). Assoc. w/ Signif. higher levels of Dz activity seen for PSO (CPDAI: OR 1.38; P = .001) & enthesitis (MASES: OR 1.39; P .001) if periodontitis present in PsA patients. https://t.co/d8OfarFWeG Subcutaneous Anifrolumab in SLE Manzi et al. have published the results of the TULIP-SC trial that showed that weekly subcutaneous (SC) anifrolumab, when given to severe SLE patients, had comparable efficacy and safety to the approved intravenous (IV) anifrolumab. https://t.co/EzaqS5q096 Did you know theres a Subcutaneous (SC) rituximab (Hycela)? Its same RTX but combined w/ hyaluronidase, faster 5-7 minute injection Vs hours for IV RTX. FDA approved 2017 for Follicular Lymphoma (FL) and Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). Give 1st dose IV, then use SC RTX. https://t.co/piQ2ZhAOyf German psoriasis registry PsoBest reports on 595 Rx w/ apremilast (417 APR monotherapy). Compared to Ptx Rx w/ other DMARDs/biologic drugs, APR pts higher age, more comorbidities. Nonserious AEs: ineffectiveness (14%), diarrhea (9%), nausea (7%), HA (6%). https://t.co/TviJmM7Fr9 https://t.co/tY89oHgUgV DMARD Responses in Localized Scleroderma – MMF = MTX ~114 pts Advanced Practitioner Biologic Prescriptions for Psoriasis Advanced practice clinicians (APCs; nurse practitioners and physician assistants) deliver a large share of US dermatologic care, accounting for 37% of clinicians and 27% of dermatology visits by 2020. A current JAMA https://t.co/3NtntmpSPV GLP-1 Agonist plus IL-17 Inhibition in Obese Psoriatic Arthritis Lilly announced the topline results from its phase 3b "TOGETHER PsA" trial, showing that the combination use of ixekizumab (Taltz) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) was superior to IXE alone, yielding both significant https://t.co/8fOXWULH7w

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from RheumNow.com Top 5 reasons to attend RheumNow Live 2026 1. Its cold and far, but you can be there virtually, online 2. Ffull access to handouts, slides & downloads 3. Saturday concert with Colin Boyd 4. Rohit Agarwal does TWO STEP talks! 5. Download 400+ rheumatology review Questions REGISTER at - RheumNow.live

Join us for our next webinar: Focus on Guidelines. Panelists will discuss their approaches to a range of difficult cases in multiple areas, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis and vasculitis, and discuss how they apply the guidelines in everyday practice. You’ll hear different perspectives and practical tips you can use in clinic. Panelists: Audrey Gibson, PA-C Benjamin A. Smith, PA-C Jack Cush, MD Following the discussion, join a live Q & A with the panelists. Register now to reserve your spot! This is our second Tuesday Night Rheumatology this month as part of our Mission: APP Partners in Care campaign

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and reports from the past two weeks on RheumNow.Com

Dr. Jack Cush reviews rheumatology's highlights, advances and noteworthy trends from the past year - 2025!

1- Sex & the Rheum Patient (12:17) 2- Pain Management (17.58) 3- Lifestyle (15.38)

This podcast is part one of the Mission: APP Partners in Care Therapeutic Update Series called Underserved and under-treated. This podcast includes videos from: Daric Mueller, PA-C, Rachel Busch-Feuer, DNP, Betsy Kirchner, DNP, Lindsay Tom, PA-C and Vanessa Hill, NP-C

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, announcements and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com. More on Variable bendability, a better way to treat RA, and a novel advance for GLP1a in PsA; and 2026 Resolutions!

Features Dr. Jack Cush

Panelists: Vanessa Hill, NP-C Lindsay Tom, PA-C Barb Slusher Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com. Who would've thunk - a PsA FMF connection? Labs to diagnose SSc-ILD? IgA-RF may be important or RZV may not work in JAK inhibitor treated patients?

Join us for our third webinar this month, discussing APP Controversies and Misconceptions. Panelists will cover a range of topics, including APP roles impact; models of care; independence; seeing new patients and complex cases; and more. Panelists: Daric A. Mueller, PA-C Lisa Carnago, MSN, FNP-C, RN Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal and regulatory reports from this past week on RheumNow.com. B cell drugs in SLE and ITP, biomarkers in GCA & PSS and great videos by APPs.

Join us for our next webinar: Focus on Guidelines. Panelists will discuss their approaches to a range of difficult cases in multiple areas, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis and vasculitis, and discuss how they apply the guidelines in everyday practice. You’ll hear different perspectives and practical tips you can use in clinic. Panelists: Audrey Gibson, PA-C Benjamin A. Smith, PA-C Jack Cush, MD Following the discussion, join a live Q & A with the panelists. Register now to reserve your spot! This is our second Tuesday Night Rheumatology this month as part of our Mission: APP Partners in Care campaign

Drs. Jack Cush and Artie Kavanaugh preview the upcoming RNL 2026 meeting in Dallas, TX on February 7 & 8, 2026. Register at RheumNow.Live Below is the program: Saturday, February 7, 2026, 7:50 - 8:00 am Welcome & Introductions Drs. Cush and Kavanaugh 8:00 - 10:00 am POD I - Rheumatoid Arthritis: Achieving Better Outcomes 8:00 – 8:30 am Mortality in RA: A Story of Decline, Delay, or Plateau? Elena Myasoedova, MD 8:30 – 9:00 am The Mucosal Hypothesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis Kristen Demoruelle, MD 9:00 – 9:30 am ILD in RA – Recent Advances Jeffrey Sparks, MD 9:30 – 10:00 am Rheumatoid arthritis Faculty Q&A 10:00 - 10:15 am STEP 1: Placebos in Rheumatology Andreas Kerschbaumer, MD 10:15 -10:30 am STEP 2: Disease Modification in Osteoarthritis Tuhina Neogi, MD PhD 10:30 – 11:05 Break 11:05 - 12:10 pm POD II – Advancing Practice 11:05 – 11:30 am Obesity & Inflammation: Weight Management in Rheumatology Uzma Haque, MD 11:30 - 11:55 am Mitigating risk in Rheum Pts undergoing surgery Susan Goodman, MD 11:55 -12:10 pm Practice Panel Faculty Q&A 12:10 – 1:00pm Lunch 1:00 – 3:00 pm POD III – Decisions in Psoriatic Arthritis 1:00 - 1:30 pm Paradoxical Psoriasis and Strange Reactions Joseph Merola, MD 1:30 - 2:00 pm Why Do Plain X rays in Psoriatic Arthritis Arthur Kavanaugh, MD 2:00 - 2:30 pm IL-23 vs IL-17 inhibitors in PsA Andre Ribero, MD 2:30 - 3:00 pm Past, Present & Future of Gout Robert Terkeltaub, MD 3:00 - 3:30 pm Psoriatic Faculty Q&A 3:30 - 4:05 pm Break 4:05 - 4:20 pm STEP 3: Helicobacter Pylori update Byron Cryer, MD 4:20 - 4:35 pm STEP 4: History of Gout Robert Terkeltaub, MD 4:35 – 5:15 pm Keynote Address: 50 Years of Osteoporosis Michael McClung, MD 5:30 – 7:00 pm Reception Sunday, February 8, 2026 Day TOPIC Speaker 7:50-8:00 am Welcome & Introductions Drs. Cush and Kavanaugh 8:00 - 10:00 am POD IV – Staying Ahead of Spondyloarthritis 8:00 – 8:30 am Diagnosing Axial Spondyloarthritis in 2026 Denis Poddubnyy, MD 8:30 – 9:00 am Spondyloarthritis Complications Jessica Walsh, MD 9:00 – 9:30 am 2026 Advances in Spondyloarthritis Catherine Bakewell, MD 9:30 – 10:00 am Spondyloarthritis Faculty Q&A 10:00 – 10:15 am STEP 5: Asymptomatic Elevation of CK Rojit Agarwal, MD MS 10:15 – 10:30 am STEP 6: Update on Myositis Antibodies Rojit Agarwal, MD MS 10:30 – 11:05 am Break 11:05 – 12:10 am POD V – Highlights in Autoimmune Disease 11:05 - 11:35 am SMILE Study – Hydroxychloroquine in ANA+ Arthralgia Nancy Olsen, MD 11:35 – 12:05 am Sjogren's Treatment Landscape in 2026 Matthew Baker, MD 12:05 - 12:20 pm Autoimmune Faculty Q&A 12:20 – 1:25 pm POD VI - Large & Small Vessel Vasculitis 12:20 – 12:45 pm Embracing Relapses in PMR and GCA Michael Putman, MD 12:45 - 1:10 pm Small vessel vasculitis Clay Cockerell, MD 1:10 - 1:25 pm Vasculitis Faculty Q&A 1:30 pm Adjourn

QD300: Flare or Beware (featuring Lindsay Tom, PA-C and Phong Nguyen, MD) QD301: CAR-T Cell Therapy for Lupus (featuring Philip Mease, MD and Cayla Alexander, DNP) QD302: Unweanable PMR (featuring Jack Cush, MD, and Leilani Law, APN) QD303: Weakness with Fibromyalgia (featuring Jack Cush, MD, and Leilani Law, APN)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from RheumNow.com, including info on scleroderma, dermatomyositis and malignancy, rheumatologist and APP salaries concerns.

Watch our kickoff webinar for this month's Mission: APP — Partners in Care campaign. Our panel of rheumatologists and experienced advanced practice providers share insights into hiring, onboarding, training, compensation, and more. Panelists: Philip Mease, MD Cayla Alexander, DNP, ARNP Kori Dewing, DNP, ANP-BC, ARNP Jack Cush, MD, Moderator

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and reports from this past week on RheumNow.com, including reports on FDA resurrections, FM seasonal worsening, and do you fight switch or swap biologics in PsA TNFi nonresponders?

The Derm on RheumNow podcast is a collection of Citations and Content curated for dermatologists – addressing Psoriasis, PsA, CLE, vasculitis, HS, other CTD skin disorders. dermatology drugs, biiologics, JAKs - their use, efficacy and side effects. Features Dr. Jack Cush, Editor at RheumNow.com. SHOW NOTES 1. Retrospective study of 39 pts w/ MDA5 + DM-ILD Rx w baricitinib. 31 (79.5%) had improvement in Gottron’s, heliotrope, dyspnea, HRCT score, ferritin, LDH, steroid dose & 6 mo survival (87% vs. 70%, p = 0.047). https://t.co/RCTbBsCkeV 2. Pulse Steroids and Mycophenolate in Juvenile Dermatomyositis JAMA Dermatology has published a pilot study demonstrating the safety and efficacy of intermittent intravenous methylprednisolone pulse (IVMP) therapy plus mycophenolate in 28 patients with JDM. https://t.co/i2HBycbWY9 3. Myelodysplastic & chr myelomonocytic leukemia pts rarely get lupus. Review of 19 w/ SLE & 5 w/ CLE; these were older (65 yrs), more male (15M/9F), w/ less renal [10%] & articular [36%] Dz w/ less dsDNA [32%]. Thought to be clonal inflammatory, & not autoinflammatory, process. https://t.co/EAvkJm6GQs 4. Serious infections w/ adalimumab. Marketscan MarketScan claims study (1/17-12/20) of ADA Rx in Hidradenitis Supprativa (n 1650) or psoriasis(8699). Risk of SIE & hospitalization greater w/ HS (HR 1.53); esp for sepsis & GU infxnhttps://t.co/2qa7O2v6fm 5. No risk of MACE seen w/ initiation of IL-17(R)A inhib. French study of 34 241 ipts Rx IL-17(R)Ai and 381 MACEs. MACE risk was not elevated (OR, 1.25 [95% CI, 0.75-2.08] vs TNF-α inhibitors. https://t.co/WcjgRhr8mj 6. Genetic Risks and Severe Cutaneous Reactions to Allopurinol A matched cohort study shows that HLA-B*58:01 and HLA-A*34:02 are strongly associated with allopurinol-induced severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs), these alleles were absent in more than one-third of those https://t.co/NLpHVhr9Ww 7. Western Australia study of 1854 SLE pts (median 40 yrs old). Interstitial lung disease was seen in in 3.8% of SLE, 26 fold more than controls. Risk factors for ILD included older age, smoking and serositis. SLE-ILD pts had higher mortality rates (MR 52.0, CI 37.0–71.1). 8. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D levels and Lupus Outcomes Lupus patients entering a prospective cohort study with low vitamin D levels faced doubled all-cause mortality risk and tripled risk for major cardiovascular events during follow-up averaging 6 years, researchers said. https://t.co/CYwVy7ls7y 9. ACR2025 Non-Renal Lupus Guidelines – from ACR Convergence 2025 10. 900,000 vs 9 It takes about 900,000 minutes to become a board-certified dermatologist. At that point, you might be very skilled and well-informed. It takes less than nine minutes to make your patient feel seen, understood and reassured. If you skip the 9 minutes, you wasted the 900,000 https://t.co/o7BaWjS4HB

Replay of RheumNow Live 2025 - Vasculitis Featuring: - Dr. Michael Wechsler: Management of EGPA in 2025 - Dr. Rennie Rhee: Imaging in Vasculitis - Dr. Richard Conway: Modern Treatment of PMR

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com. Check out: RNL 2026 – Feb 7 8 2026 DFW RheumNow.live

Replay of RheumNow Live 2025 - Spondyloarthritis Sponsored by AbbVie Featuring: Dr. Desiree van der Heidje - Advances in Treatment of Spondyloarthritis Dr. Jennifer Cather - Progress in Hidradenitis Supprativa Dr. Catherine Bakewell - Imaging Evaluation of Spondyloarthritis

Replay of RheumNow Live 2025 - Psoriatic Arthritis Sponsored by AbbVie Featuring: Dr. Alexis Ogdie - Can Aggressive Treatment of Psoriasis Prevent PsA? Dr. Artie Kavanaugh - Combination Biologic Therapies in PsA Dr. Kenneth Gordon - Head-to-head Studies in Psoriatic Disease – What have we learned?