Publications

Nozaki et al. showed that JAK inhibitor treatment provided sustained disease control (especially in high-risk RA patients) and promoted GC reduction, although TNF inhibitors remain a standard option. Nozaki et al. evaluated the clinical efficacy and continuation rates of JAK inhibitors and TNF inhibitors in RA patients with poor-prognosis factors (PPFs).

Mease et al. report that patients without radiographic progression through 2 years of secukinumab treatment had greater achievement of LDA states at Week 104 than patients with radiographic progression. This post hoc analysis by Mease et al. of the FUTURE 5 study evaluated the relationship between radiographic progression status at Week 104 and achievement of LDA or remission and identified demographics and clinical characteristics that were associated with radiographic progression status at Week 104.

In this nationwide observational study, ixekuzumab was mainly used in patients with axSpA and PsA who had previously failed multiple b/tsDMARDs, including other IL-17 inhibitors. Although prior IL-17 treatment was associated with increased risk of withdrawal in both groups, the relatively high retention rates and improvements in all disease outcomes suggest ixekizumab as a viable option for challenging patients with multiple b/tsDMARD failures.

Wieczorek et al. present the first evidence supporting the use of a dual JAK and ROCK inhibitor as a potential treatment option for patients with RA who have inadequate response to MTX. Wieczorek et al. conducted a randomised, Phase 2 study of CPL’116 in patients with RA with inadequate response to MTX, to evaluate dose-dependent effects on disease control and pharmacokinetics, and its effect on laboratory abnormalities among other safety assessments.

In more than 1500 patients from 13 European countries, Pons et al. demonstrated that secukinumab retention rates after four years were approximately 50% in both axSpA and PsA patients. Pons et al. aimed to assess retention rates and proportions of patients achieving remission and LDA, according to disease activity measures and patient-reported outcomes at 24 and 48 months, in axSpA and PsA patients initiating secukinumab. In this large real-world study, Pons et al., for the first time, report 48-month retention rates as well as rates of remission and LDA. Importantly, b/tsDMARD naïve patients demonstrated higher retention, remission and LDA rates than patients with prior b/tsDMARDs exposure, particularly in axSpA.  

Palsson et al. aimed to estimate the prevalence and predictors of ever achieving remission and sustained remission (SR) in PsA patients initiating b/tsDMARDs therapy in Sweden, using three different remission criteria (DAPSA28, DAS28CRP and EGA). Palsson et al. found that despite increased availability and a wider selection of b/tsDMARDs with different modes of action, a considerable proportion of PsA patients receiving such treatments never achieve remission and approximately half never achieve SR. Fewer swollen joints at baseline predicted a greater likelihood of SR according to all assessed remission definitions, while male sex predicted the likelihood of SR according to DAPSA28 and EGA.