2026-06-25 | Acthar Gel treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or dermatomyositis/polymyositis: analysis of physician-reported charts.

Aim: To examine the characteristics, treatment patterns, and physicians' assessments of outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM) who received Acthar Gel. Materials & methods: This survey-based medical chart review study asked rheumatologists who met specific inclusion criteria to abstract data from patient records covering the period from April 2022 to November 2024. Eligible patients were adults ≥18 years diagnosed with RA, SLE, or DM/PM, treated with Acthar Gel for ≤24 months. An online questionnaire screened and identified contributing physicians and collected anonymized patient data (baseline demographic, medical history, concomitant medications, Acthar Gel treatment history, and physicians' assessment of health status, symptom severity, treatment outcomes with Acthar Gel). Results: The study population comprised 73 patients with RA (average age 50 years; 49 [67%] female; 44 [60%] White/non-Hispanic), 56 with SLE (average age 42 years; 47 [84%] female; 28 [50%] African-American), and 104 with DM/PM (average age 52 years; 69 [66%] female; 62 [60%] White/non-Hispanic). Patients had received Acthar Gel for an average of 9 (RA) or 8 months (SLE, DM/PM), with most receiving treatment at the time of the study. Per physicians' assessment, health status improved in 68 (93%) patients with RA, 50 (89%) patients with SLE, and 100 (96%) patients with DM/PM after starting treatment with Acthar Gel. The most common treatment goals achieved in patients with improved overall health status were improved overall symptoms, pain, physical function, and corticosteroid use in the RA cohort; overall symptoms, pain, corticosteroid use, and fatigue in the SLE cohort; and overall symptoms, strength, physical function, and corticosteroid use in the DM/PM cohort. Conclusion: These findings support the use of Acthar Gel as a potential treatment option for appropriate patients with RA, SLE, or DM/PM.

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2026-06-19 | JAK inhibitors in areas outside of inflammatory arthritis: focus on connective tissue diseases.

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have emerged as a transformative therapeutic class across autoimmune diseases by targeting multiple cytokine networks implicated in inflammation and fibrosis. Beyond inflammatory arthritis, increasing evidence supports their potential efficacy in connective tissue diseases such as idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, systemic sclerosis, primary Sjögren's disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Through modulation of type I/II interferon and interleukin signalling, JAK inhibition exerts broad anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects, translating into clinical improvements in cutaneous, articular and pulmonary domains. Early clinical trials and real-world data confirm meaningful responses in refractory disease, though randomized evidence remains limited. Overall, JAK inhibitors represent a promising, mechanistically grounded option for systemic autoimmune diseases, with ongoing studies expected to refine selectivity, indications and long-term safety profiles.

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2026-06-08 | Aggressive Nutrition Therapy in a Rehabilitation Hospital for Severe Tachypnoea and Profound Weight Loss With Interstitial Lung Disease: A Case Report.

A 67-year-old male suffering from polymyositis-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. Upon admission, the patient presented with severe malnutrition (weight of 32.0 kg; BMI of 12.10 kg/m2; skeletal muscle index of 3.8 kg/m2) and rapid shallow breathing with pronounced exercise-induced tachypnoea. The patient underwent physiotherapy, which included belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation and progressively titrated aerobic/resistance training. Following the initial stepwise optimisation for transient poor intake, an aggressive nutrition therapy was started. At discharge, the patient gained 4.6 kg in weight, with an increase in skeletal muscle mass from 13.9 to 15.5 kg. The skeletal muscle index had increased to 4.4 kg/m2, representing an increase of 0.6 kg/m2. Furthermore, the duration of continuous aerobic exercise had increased to 30 min, representing a 27-min increase. This case may present a pragmatic strategy for the implementation of aggressive nutrition therapy during rehabilitation for tachypnoeic ILD.

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