Psoriatic Arthritis News

CHICAGO — Bimekizumab, a monoclonal antibody that neutralizes both IL-17A and IL-17F, significantly improved both musculoskeletal and skin outcomes among patients with active psoriatic arthritis, according to phase 2b data presented at the ACR/ARHP 2018 Annual Meeting.

Cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorders and inflammatory bowel disease are more prevalent among patients with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, compared with those with psoriasis only, according to findings published in BMC Rheumatology.

Researchers found that the most prevalent adverse effect linked to immune checkpoint inhibitors was inflammatory arthritis, and although most patients received long courses of immune suppression, few required checkpoint inhibitor discontinuation, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

CHICAGO — Treatment with low-dose methotrexate did not reduce risk for CV events compared with placebo and conferred elevated risk for nonbasal-cell skin cancers, according to results of the CIRT trial.

I always look forward to the ACR yearly review course for an engaging way to get updates on various topics in the field of rheumatology. It’s also a way to reminisce what it’s like to be a high primary school student again and makes you wonder how you were ever able to sit in the same seat all day long, day after day!

The FDA has approved the third biosimilar to adalimumab, adalimumab-adaz, for all eligible indications of the biologic product, according to a company press release.

CHICAGO — Filgotinib, an oral, selective JAK1 inhibitor in development for inflammatory diseases, demonstrated efficacy compared with placebo in patients with psoriatic arthritis, with no new safety concerns, according to Philip J. Mease MD, of the University of Washington School of Medicine.

CHICAGO — Rheumatologists, as well as the rheumatology specialty as a whole, must become more aware of, and develop treatments and guidelines for, the problem of rheumatologic side effects related to checkpoint inhibitor therapy, according to Peter A. Merkel, MD, MPH, of the University of Pennsylvania.

More than 50% of adults aged 45 years or older with some form of arthritis are currently going untreated, despite a substantial proportion experiencing severe symptoms and poor physical function, according to data published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology.

The use of wearable devices that track movement is effective in significantly increasing the amount of and time spent performing moderate to vigorous physical activity, with high short-term adherence, among patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.