Mease et al. found that bimekizumab demonstrated a favourable long-term safety profile in patients with axSpA and PsA.

Kaya et al. reported that switching to secukinumab or cycling to another TNFi after first TNFi failure in axSpA led to comparable drug survival, with predictive factors differing by treatment. The study reports that smoking and Achilles enthesitis were associated with higher SEC discontinuation, while high CRP and primary TNFi failure predicted TNFi discontinuation.

The concept of difficult-to-treat disease in rheumatology: where next?

Lancet Rheumatol. 2025;7:e274–89 doi: 10.1016/S2665-9913(24)00340-0

Nagy et al. propose a unifying and holistic framework for understanding and addressing the concept of difficult-to-treat (D2T) disease across rheumatology, integrating cross-disciplinary evidence and recommending its incorporation into future disease management strategies. The D2T state requires a comprehensive, holistic, multidisciplinary approach that considers the specific characteristics of each disease and the personalised needs of the patient.

Mariette et al. investigated the long-term safety of filgotinib with regard to MACE, VTE and malignancy across RA and UC clinical trial populations. Rates of these events remained low overall, with some increases observed in patients aged 65 years and older.

Di Napoli et al. conducted a global pharmacovigilance analysis comparing MACE between JAKis and anti-TNFα therapies in patients with RA. JAKis were more frequently associated with reported MACE, particularly stroke, and had a shorter median time to onset than
anti-TNFα therapy.

March 2025

Panaccione et al. investigated the association between achievement of endoscopic remission following induction therapy and hospitalisation outcomes in Crohn’s disease. Patients achieving endoscopic remission at Week 12 experienced a 55% reduction in Crohn’s disease-related hospitalisation rates over the 52-week maintenance period. The results support endoscopic remission as an early therapeutic target.

Prajapati et al. conducted the PROTOSTAR trial to assess guselkumab in paediatric patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Guselkumab significantly improved skin clearance versus placebo at Wk16, with high response rates sustained through Wk52 and a favourable safety profile.

Floris et al. conducted a monocentric cohort study to assess the impact of biologic treatment on the development of PsA in patients with PsO. Treatment with biologics significantly reduced the likelihood of PsA development, with lower prevalence observed across different biologic classes and patterns of joint involvement.

Zhao et al. found that among patients with PsA or axSpA, JAKi were not associated with increased risk of CVD or common cancers compared to TNFi or IL-17i.

Burden and determinants of multi-b/tsDMARD failure in psoriatic arthritis

Arthritis Research & Therapy 2025;27:46 doi: 10.1186/s13075-025-03518-7

Haberman et al. analysed prescribing patterns and characteristics of PsA patients with
multi-b/tsDMARD failure, defined as requiring ≥4 b/tsDMARDs. Among 960 patients at the NYU Psoriatic Arthritis Centre, 17% met this criterion. These patients were more likely to be female, obese, and have higher rates of axial involvement and depression. They also exhibited greater disease activity, suggesting that both inflammatory and non-inflammatory factors contribute to multiple treatment failures.