ACR Convergence 2023

Highlights from ACR Convergence 2023, held from November 10 – 15, 2023.

Ixekizumab treatment improves MRI structural lesions in sacroiliac joints of patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, post hoc analysis finds

Presenter: Walter P. Maksymowych, FRCP, Professor of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Treatment with ixekizumab decreased erosion scores and increased backfill scores in this post hoc analysis of the randomized, controlled COAST V trial, suggesting there is an effect of ixekizumab that goes beyond its effect on inflammation.

Telitacicept fusion protein is effective and safe in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who had inadequate response to methotrexate, phase 3 study shows

Presenter: Qing Zuraw, MD, MPH, MBA, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Autoimmune Disease Clinical Development, RemeGen Biosciences, Inc, San Francisco, CA.

The human recombinant fusion protein telitacicept, which targets and neutralizes B lymphocyte stimulator and a proliferation-inducing ligand, improves clinical response and radiographic endpoints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, with a safety profile similar to placebo.

Deep cellular immune profiling of psoriatic arthritis linked to imaging phenotypes and targeted therapy response

Presenter: Lihi Eder, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Canada Research Chair in Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

The study, which used mass cytometry to characterize immune cell populations, suggests that immune cell profiling can improve phenotyping of psoriatic arthritis.

The investigational tyrosine kinase inhibitor TAK-279 is effective and well tolerated in patients with active psoriatic arthritis in phase 2b study

Presenter: Alan J. Kivitz, MD, President and Medical Director, Altoona Center for Clinical Research, Duncansville, PA

In patients with active psoriatic arthritis, TAK-279, an investigational once-daily selective oral tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor, had superior efficacy versus placebo at week 12, with an acceptable safety profile consistent with other trials.

Ixekizumab-treated patients with psoriatic arthritis have improved clinical outcomes regardless of number of erosions at baseline, study suggests

Presenter: M. Elaine Husni, MD, MPH, Vice Chair, Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Patients with psoriatic arthritis treated with ixekizumab had improved disease activity scores and functional parameters irrespective of the number of erosions they had at baseline, according to this post hoc analysis.

Psoriatic arthritis patients of diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds have more skin psoriasis, pain, and radiographic axial disease

Presenter: Rebecca Haberman, MD, assistant professor, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.

In studying a diverse cohort of patients, researchers found that race and ethnicity has a substantial impact on psoriatic arthritis presentation and activity, with non-White patients often having a different disease experience than White patients.

Rheumatologists are not uniformly following recommendations on axial spondyloarthritis disease assessment and monitoring, survey finds

Presenter: Stephanie Sinnappan, Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.

Implementation of specific guideline recommendations for axial spondyloarthritis management varies despite general agreement that following the practices is important, according to this survey of healthcare professionals.

Tapering of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors is linked to more flares, lower remission rates than maintaining treatment at stable doses in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, study finds

Presenter: Kaja E. Kjørholt, Medical doctor and PhD Fellow, Center for Treatment of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (REMEDY), Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Norway

In the open-label, randomized ARCTIC REWIND study, patients tapered off TNF inhibitors therapy experienced more flares and lower overall remission rates over 3 years than those maintained on stable doses of TNF inhibitors.

Early response predicts long-term outcome among ixekizumab-treated patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis

Presenter: Sofia Ramiro, consultant rheumatologist and senior researcher, Leiden University Medical Center and Zuyderland Medical Center, Netherlands

In ixekizumab-treated patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, those with a clinically important improvement at week 12 or 24 were more likely to have inactive or low disease activity by week 52.