Publications

View and download slide summaries of the latest original articles focusing on therapies in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases including rheumatology, dermatology, and gastroenterology. All materials produced by the team are subsequently reviewed and approved by individual Steering Committee members.

July 2016

Risk for Gastrointestinal Perforation Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Receiving Tofacitinib, Tocilizumab, or Other Biologics

Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016 May 17. DOI 10.1002/art.39761 [Epub ahead of print]

Xie et al.

Historically, patients with RA have suffered with upper tract gastrointestinal perforation (GIPs), associated with NSAID use. More recently, the IL-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab (TCZ) has been associated with lower tract GIPs. Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, including tofacitinib (TOF), with some downstream effects on IL-6 signalling, also have potential for an increased risk of GIPs.There is limited real-world evidence and almost no comparative evidence on the risk for GIP associated with TC...

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March 2016

Impact of obesity on the clinical outcome of rheumatologic patients in biotherapy

Autoimmunity Reviews Doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2016.01.010

Iannone et al

Obesity is increasingly becoming a public health concern as its prevalence continues to grow in the United States and Western nations. Obesity has been shown to be an inflammatory condition that impacts multiple tissues and systems, including the immune system possibly linking to rheumatic diseases. In this review, Iannone et al overview the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of PsA and/or RA patients with comorbid obesity.Large cohort and prospective studies in Italy, the US, and the UK have s...

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June 2015

The preclinical pharmacology of the high affinity anti-IL-6R Nanobody® ALX-0061 supports its clinical development in rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis Res Ther. 2015 May 20;17(1):135. [Epub ahead of print]

Van Roy M,

Ververken C,

Beirnaert E Hoefman S,

Kolkman J Vierboom M,

Over the last decade, there has been a shift in treatment outcomes for RA; moving from symptom control to achieving remission. The TNF inhibitors have revolutionised treatment in this way, yet there is still a proportion of patients who fail to improve or reach remission. As such, new molecules for the treatment of RA are needed to be developed.This study investigates the in vitro and in vivo properties of ALX-0061, a bispecific Nanobody with a high affinity and potency for IL-6R.Positive pharma...

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Tofacitinib (CP-690,550) in combination with methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis with an inadequate response to tumour necrosis factor inhibitors: a randomised phase 3 trial

The Lancet 2013; 381(9865):451-60

The ORAL Step trial is one of six studies conducted as part of the phase 3 research programme for the oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor tofacitinib. This 6-month, double-blind, parallel-group phase 3 study investigated the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with an inadequate response to tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. Patients were randomised to 5 or 10 mg tofacitinib twice daily or placebo, which was switched to tofacitinib a...