Secukinumab in United States Biologic-Naïve Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis: Results From the Randomized, Placebo-Controlled CHOICE Study.

Objective: To evaluate secukinumab (SEC) 300 mg and 150 mg vs placebo in a United States-only population of biologic-naïve patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: CHOICE was a double-blind, randomized controlled trial conducted in the US. Biologic-naïve patients with PsA and psoriasis (PsO) were randomized 2:2:1 to SEC 300 mg (n = 103), SEC 150 mg (n = 103), or placebo (n = 52).

The Pretreatment Gut Microbiome Is Associated With Lack of Response to Methotrexate in New-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: Although oral methotrexate (MTX) remains the anchor drug for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), up to 50% of patients do not achieve a clinically adequate outcome. In addition, there is a lack of prognostic tools for treatment response prior to drug initiation. This study was undertaken to investigate whether interindividual differences in the human gut microbiome can aid in the prediction of MTX efficacy in new-onset RA.

Aiming for Cure and Preventive Initiatives in Psoriatic Disease: Building Synergy at NPF, GRAPPA, and PPACMAN.

Purpose Of Review: To provide a general overview of the organizations dedicated to advance clinical and translational research in the field of psoriatic disease and to describe the current and future opportunities for team science approaches to overcome unmet needs in the field. Descriptions of initiatives from the NPF, PPACMAN, and GRAPPA are summarized.

Recent Findings: Program projects have recently identified areas of knowledge gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

COVID-19 in Patients With Inflammatory Arthritis: A Prospective Study on the Effects of Comorbidities and Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs on Clinical Outcomes.

Objective: To characterize the hospitalization and death rates among patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to analyze the associations of comorbidities and immunomodulatory medications with infection outcomes.

Methods: Data on clinical and demographic features, maintenance treatment, disease course, and outcomes in individuals with IA (rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis) with symptomatic COVID-19 infection were prospectively assessed via web-based questionnaire followed by individual phone calls and electronic medical record review. Baseline characteristics and medication use were summarized for hospitalized and ambulatory patients, and outcomes with the different medication classes were compared using multivariable logistic regression.