EULAR 2026 Daily Podcast Day 3a
A groundbreaking study presented at EULAR 2026 reveals that digital patient education for newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patients is not only as effective as traditional face-to-face instruction but also reduces healthcare costs by €500–600 per patient and improves quality of life—making it a 'dominant' intervention in cost-effectiveness terms. This finding challenges the assumption that digital tools compromise care quality, especially in a healthcare system strained by workforce shortages. Meanwhile, a wave of new data is reshaping treatment paradigms in psoriatic and spondyloarthritis, with multiple studies showing that combination therapies—such as IL-23 inhibitors paired with TNF blockers—can achieve superior inflammation reduction in MRI scans, particularly in the feet, without increasing structural damage or safety risks. Though not yet statistically significant in all endpoints, the biological plausibility is strong. A head-to-head trial between bimekizumab (IL-17/23 inhibitor) and risankizumab (IL-23 inhibitor) showed a 49% vs. 38% ACR50 response at 16 weeks, suggesting IL-17 inhibition may offer a clinical edge. Crucially, emerging research using FAPI PET imaging identifies fibroblast activation as a powerful predictor of progression from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis—six times higher risk in those with elevated scans—opening a potential window for early intervention.
Digital patient education for RA is cost-effective and improves outcomes, reducing healthcare costs by €500–600 per patient while maintaining quality of life.
Combination therapy with IL-23 and TNF inhibitors shows superior MRI-based inflammation reduction in psoriatic arthritis, especially in the feet, without safety concerns.
Bimekizumab outperformed risankizumab in a head-to-head trial, achieving 49% ACR50 response vs. 38% at 16 weeks, suggesting a clinical advantage for IL-17/23 inhibition.
FAPI PET imaging identifies fibroblast activation as a sixfold predictor of progression from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis, enabling early risk stratification.
Despite strong mechanistic rationale, probiotics showed no benefit in psoriatic arthritis over 12 months, with no changes in microbiome, immune markers, or disease activity.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Opening: EULAR 2026 in London
The podcast opens with a welcome from the RheumNow team, setting the stage for Day 3 of EULAR 2026 in London, with multiple reporters covering key abstracts and debates.
Digital Education in RA: Cost-Effective and Effective
“The digital intervention was actually dominant, meaning better outcomes at a lower cost.”
Debate: Combination Therapy in Rheumatic Diseases
“The addition of GLP-1 agonists to biologic therapies... is very promising, especially in patients with peripheral spondyloarthritis.”
Treatment-to-Target Gaps in Spondyloarthritis
“The problem is structural. The problem is documentation rather than clinical.”
MRI Evidence for Dual Blockade in Psoriatic Arthritis
“The combination therapy produced a statistically significantly greater reduction in overall inflammation in the hands and feet than with just the therapy with the gazelcomab, the IL-23 inhibitor alone.”
“But this FAPI PET CT, if you have a high index compared to if you don't, you're six times more likely to develop psoriatic arthritis whilst you started off with psoriasis.”
“And what they found is that in the subset of patients treated with the combination therapy, there was a statistically significantly greater reduction in overall inflammation in the hands and feet than with just the therapy with the gazelcomab, the IL -23 inhibitor alone.”
“More work needs to be done because nothing changed. The microbiome didn't change. The gut permeability didn't change. And the composition of the immune subsets didn't change either with the probiotic.”
Hosts
eular 2026
other
gusilcumab
product
golimumab
product
peter nash
person
anthony chan
person
bimekizumab
product
risankizumab
product
fapi pet
other
bella mehta
person
jonathan kay
person
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