Psoriatic Arthritis

The FDA has expanded the approval of secukinumab to include treatment of active nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis, allowing this drug to treat patients across the entire axSpA spectrum.

Lifestyle approaches, including physical activity and smoking cessation, should complement medical therapy in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, according to data presented at the EULAR 2020 E-Congress.

The availability of new drug options and new definitions for polyarticular versus oligoarticular joint involvement in psoriatic arthritis were highlighted as the significant updates in the EULAR recommendations for the treatment of the disease, according to a presenter at the EULAR 2020 E-Congress.

AbbVie has submitted applications to the FDA and European Medicines Agency for Rinvoq to include an indication for treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis, according to a press release.

Rheumatologists may consider “cautious tapering” of DMARDs in patients with psoriatic arthritis who achieve sustained remission, according to a 2019 update to EULAR recommendations published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

A study of the live herpes zoster vaccine in patients with psoriasis is just one of many in recent years to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of vaccines in this patient population, yet vaccination rates in this group remain low despite patients’ high risk for shingles and other vaccine-preventable viruses. Patients may be uncertain about which vaccines are safe for them to take with their psoriasis or other medications, and the difference between live attenuated and killed vaccines — as well as the associated risk for each — can be confusing.

Losing weight from young adulthood into midlife is associated with a substantially reduced risk for arthritis, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Baseline use of biologics and JAK inhibitors among patients with immune-mediated inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis and other related conditions, is not associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes, according to a case series presented in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Arthritis Foundation is more than 70 years old, but its newest theme — Live Yes! — is in its infancy. Historically, the organization has zeroed in on key pillars, including access to care, advocacy in government and attention to the often-overlooked juvenile arthritis. Yet, the Foundation also understood the importance of interpersonal connections and support networks to patient well-being: An idea that laid the foundation for an online community that simultaneously educates and empowers patients, while cultivating their input to develop solutions for issues common to the arthritis population.

Brodalumab, an anti-interleukin-17 receptor A monoclonal antibody used to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, was shown to have low rates of malignancy, according to findings published in American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.