Publications

Silvagni et al. aimed to comparatively assess the risk of cardiovascular events (CVE) in RA patients treated with JAKis or TNFis and to explore the interactions with patient profiles [including age, baseline cardio-cerebrovascular (CV) risk, and frailty, which is a state of decreased physiological reserve, assessed using a validated frailty index for Administrative Heathcare Databases (AHD)]. This AHD-based study highlighted no significantly increased risk of CVEs or MACEs for JAKis with respect to TNFis. The CV risk remains mainly driven by the patient profiles. The frailty, in parallel with baseline CV risk, emerged as an important determinant of CVEs, MACEs, and thromboembolic events (TEs). Frailty and baseline CV risk are key predictors of CVEs, MACEs, and TEs, and should be considered in both clinical assessment and trial design for RA patients on ts/b-DMARDs.

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.

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.

Van den Bosch et al. reported that upadacitinib 15 mg once daily led to sustained improvement in nr-axSpA over two years, including disease activity, pain, and quality of life. The study reports that 57.1% achieved ASAS40 response at week 104, with no new safety signals identified.

Deodhar et al. assessed the long-term safety, tolerability and efficacy of bimekizumab in patients with r-axSpA over five years. The study found that bimekizumab maintained disease control achieved at Wk48 through Wk256, with no new safety signals observed. Adverse events were consistent with previous reports, and clinical benefits, including improvements in disease activity and patient-reported outcomes, were sustained.