February 2025

Tamuzimod in patients with moderately-to-severely active ulcerative colitis: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2 induction trial

Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025;10:210–221. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(24)00386-8.

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.

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Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Bimekizumab in Axial Spondyloarthritis: 2-Year Results from Two Phase 3 Studies

Rheumatol. 2025. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaf009

Baraliakos et al. evaluated the long-term safety and efficacy of bimekizumab in axSpA through a 2-year analysis of the BE MOBILE 1 and BE MOBILE 2 studies. Bimekizumab was well tolerated, with a consistent safety profile and no new safety signals. Clinical improvements, including ASAS40 response and MRI remission, were sustained through Wk104.

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Switching to biological DMARDs versus cycling among JAK inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and with inadequate response to JAK inhibitors: from FIRST registry

RMD Open. 2025 Jan 21;11:e004987

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.

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Baricitinib dose reduction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis achieving sustained disease control: Final results from the RA-BEYOND study

J. Rheumatol. 2025 doi: 10.3899/jrheum.2024-0906

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.

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January 2025

Efficacy and safety of mirikizumab in patients with moderately-to-severely active Crohn’s disease: a phase 3, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled and active-controlled, treat through study

Lancet 2024;404:2423–36 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01762-8

Ferrante et al. conducted a phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of mirikizumab in patients with moderately-to-severely active Crohn’s disease. The study demonstrated that mirikizumab significantly improved clinical and endoscopic outcomes compared with placebo at week 52, with a favourable safety profile and tolerable adverse events.

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Sustained DMARD-free remission in subgroups of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an analysis of two prospective cohorts with early arthritis

Lancet Rheumatol 2024 doi: 10.1016/S2665-9913(24)00234-0

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.

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December 2024

Fenofibrate as an Adjunct Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis: Targeting Inflammation via SIRT1, NLRP3, and AMPK Pathways: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Drug Des Devel Ther. 2024;18:5239-5253. doi 10.2147/DDDT.S490772

Alarfaj et al. demonstrate fenofibrate significantly improved clinical outcomes, inflammatory biomarkers, and quality of life in patients with mild-to-moderate UC when added to mesalamine therapy.

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Tofacitinib safety and effectiveness in Canadian patients with rheumatoid arthritis by cardiovascular risk enrichment: Subanalysis of the CANTORAL study

Rheumatol Ther 2024;11:1629–48 doi: 10.1007/s40744-024-00719-5

Haraoui et al. conducted a subgroup analysis of the CANTORAL study, showing that tofacitinib effectiveness was similar in patients with or without CV risk enrichment. However, AEs, particularly in older patients (≥65 years), were more frequent in the CV+ cohort. These findings highlight the need for tailored CV risk management when treating RA with tofacitinib.

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Efficacy and safety of filgotinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: week 156 interim results from a long-term extension study

RMD Open 2024;12:e004476 doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2024-004476

Buch et al. demonstrated that filgotinib sustained its efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis patients through Wk156 in the FINCH 4 long-term extension study, showing stable safety profiles. The study reported high ACR response rates and remission based on Boolean criteria, underlining filgotinib's potential for extended clinical benefits.

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Baricitinib as monotherapy for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: analysis of real-world data

Current Medical Research and Opinion 2024;40:1993–2002 doi: 10.1080/03007995.2024.2416979.

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.

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