Vermeire et al. provides data that supports the long-term efficacy and safety of obefazimod 50mg QD, with a substantial proportion of patients achieving clinical remission at Weeks 48 and 96. Vermeire et al. evaluated the 2-year outcome data of an OLM study, which assessed the long-term safety and efficacy of obefazimod 50mg QD.

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.

April 2025

Real-world effectiveness and safety data suggest that deucravacitinib is a valuable long-term treatment option for PsO.

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.

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.

March 2025

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.

Sands et al. evaluated tamuzimod, a selective sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 modulator, in patients with moderately-to-severely active UC. At Week 13, clinical remission (defined as an MMS stool frequency subscore of ≤1, rectal bleeding subscore of 0, and endoscopic subscore ≤1, excluding friability) was achieved by 28% and 24% of patients receiving tamuzimod 60 mg and 30 mg, respectively, compared with 11% in the placebo group. The treatment was well tolerated; most AEs were mild or moderate.

February 2025

IL23is are associated with a lower risk of PsA incidence compared to IL17is in PsO patients, particularly in specific age, sex, and ethnic groups according to the latest real-world research from Yu S, et al.

Armstrong et al. evaluated the long-term safety and efficacy of deucravacitinib in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis over a three-year period. The study found that exposure-adjusted incidence rates of AEs remained stable or declined over time, with no new safety signals emerging. Clinical response rates, including PASI75/90, were maintained, supporting the drug’s long-term efficacy.

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.