Publications

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.

Miyazaki et al. investigated the efficacy and safety of switching to bDMARDs versus cycling among JAKis in RA patients with inadequate JAKi response. Cycling to another JAKi proved more effective in improving disease activity at 26 weeks compared to switching to a bDMARD, and both groups had similar safety profiles.

Edwards et al. reported that in patients with RA who achieved sustained LDA or remission, tapering baricitinib from 4mg to 2mg allowed most to maintain LDA at 96 weeks. Rescue with 4mg restored control for the majority, demonstrating the feasibility of dose reduction with recovery potential for treatment.

Lungova et al. explored the potential of CAR T-cell therapy in autoimmune conditions such as SLE, myopathies, and systemic sclerosis. While clinical cases show promise, adoption is limited by high costs, narrow patient eligibility, and safety concerns, including cytokine release syndrome. Future targeted CAR T-cell approaches may enhance efficacy and safety.

Heutz et al. found that patients requiring bDMARDs rarely achieved DMARD-free remission, while 15–37% of those on non-bDMARDs reached this milestone, underscoring significant differences based on treatment type. This suggests the EULAR recommendation against DMARD cessation may be too generalised.

Baraliakos et al. assessed the long-term efficacy and safety of upadacitinib in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis who were refractory to biologic therapy. At week 104, the treatment sustained improvements in disease activity and functional outcomes with low rates of radiographic progression and no new safety signals.

Edwards et al. report on real-world data for baricitinib monotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis, showing significant disease activity reduction across multiple registries and observational studies. These findings reinforce the viability of baricitinib monotherapy in clinical practice for RA patients, complementing existing guidelines.