Merola et al. undertook a post hoc analysis of prospective cohorts that compared the effects of deucravacitinib vs placebo and vs apremilast on joint pain, and the impact of musculoskeletal symptoms, at Weeks 16 and 24 in the pooled POETYK PSO-1 and PSO-2 populations who self-reported joint symptoms on the PASE questionnaire. Patients who screened positively for PsA reported greater improvements in joint pain and peripheral joint disease with deucravacitinib vs placebo at Week 16 and vs apremilast at Week 24. Findings from this pooled analysis suggest that deucravacitinib may be used to treat both dermatologic and joint symptoms effectively in patients with psoriasis and probable arthritis.

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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.

Poddubnyy et al. identified no apparent increase in the risk of developing extramusculoskeletal manifestations (EMMs) in patients with PsA, r-axSpA, and nr-axSpA receiving 15mg UPA in the SELECT trials. Majority of patients did not report a history of EMMs at baseline, regardless of disease indication or study treatment.

Maksymowych et al. evaluated the effect of ixekizumab and adalimumab versus placebo over 52 weeks on structural lesions in sacroiliac joints assessed by MRI in patients naive to biological DMARDs with radiographic axSpA from the COAST-V study. The authors reported a decrease in erosion and increase in backfill at Week 16 with further reductions in erosion and increases in backfill occurring at Week 52 in patients receiving ixekizumab.

Biologic switching in psoriatic arthritis: Insights from real-world data and key risk factors

Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2025;73:152737 doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2025.152737

Haddad et al. used real-world data from Israel’s largest health maintenance organisation to investigate predictors and patterns of biologic therapy switching in PsA, reporting that nearly half of biologic users switched therapy at least once. Cross-class switching, particularly from anti-TNF to IL-17 therapies, was frequent and consistent across two decades of treatment data.

April 2025

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.

Phase 2 study data show that zimlovisertib + tofacitinib was more effective than tofacitinib alone, in patients with moderate-to-severe RA and an inadequate response to MTX.

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

March 2025

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.

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.