More research news from ACR/ARP 2019

Taking omega-3 is associated with a reduction in measures of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, suggests real-world data.

Addition of the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor fenebrutinib to standard care does not improve outcomes for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, suggest findings from a phase II trial.

Telitacicept, a recombinant fusion protein targeting B-lymphocyte stimulator and the APRIL proliferation-inducing ligand, has shown potential for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus in a phase IIb trial conducted in China.

Follow-up results from the SPIRIT-H2H trial indicate that ixekizumab continues to improve joint and skin symptoms relative to adalimumab after 1 year of treatment among patients with psoriatic arthritis.

The small molecule phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor apremilast reduces the number of oral ulcers and improves quality of life to a greater degree than placebo in people with Behçet’s syndrome, results of the phase III RELIEF study show.

Anifrolumab has shown clinical efficacy in systemic lupus erythematosus, based on BICLA response as the primary outcome, TULIP-2 results show.

The PREVENT investigators have reported positive results for the IL-17A inhibitor secukinumab in patients with nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Study findings pitting methotrexate plus glucocorticoid treatment against methotrexate plus one of three biologics in early rheumatoid arthritis provide support for the active conventional treatment.

Tofacitinib is effective for reducing the risk for disease flare in patients with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, results of a randomized phase III study show.

Six months of treatment with olokizumab, a novel humanized monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-6, significantly improves disease activity and physical function in patients already taking methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis, phase III study data show.

A pooled analysis of data from the FINCH 1–3 studies has shown that 24 weeks of filgotinib treatment is well tolerated by a broad group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, with an adverse event profile similar to that of its comparators.

The interleukin-17A inhibitor ixekizumab improves the signs and symptoms of nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis relative to placebo, indicate findings from the phase III COAST-X trial.

Findings from the phase II/III SELECT-AXIS 1 trial suggest that treatment with upadacitinib may improve disease activity, function, and axial inflammation among biologic-naïve patients with ankylosing spondylitis and an inadequate response or intolerance to NSAIDs.

Patients with psoriatic arthritis who have achieved minimal disease activity on ixekizumab do better if they continue on the drug rather than stopping treatment, show findings from the SPIRIT-P3 study.

Methotrexate does not improve pain or physical function among people with symptomatic erosive hand osteoarthritis, indicate results from the placebo-controlled ADEM trial.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients gain similar benefits from biologic treatment irrespective of whether they develop the disease before or after the age of 60 years, study findings suggest.

Bimekizumab shows sustained benefit in the treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis, 48-week data show.

Trial findings reported at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, refute concerns that patients with rheumatic diseases taking TNF inhibitors should not be given the live varicella virus vaccine.

Findings from the DISCOVER-1 and DISCOVER-2 trials suggest that the interleukin-23 inhibitor guselkumab may be a promising treatment option for people with psoriatic arthritis.

Certolizumab pegol significantly reduces the risk for acute anterior uveitis flare in patients with axial spondyloarthritis, show 48-week interim results from the C-VIEW trial.