Happy New Year!  This week Dr. Anisha Dua (@anisha_dua) and Dr. Sarah Fantus (@sarahfantus) debate this motion: "In MTX non-responders with RA, triple therapy (adding HCQ & SSZ) should be first line."  Please be sure to VOTE AGAIN on twitter (@ebrheum) after you have listened! 

This week I go back to a topic from episode 42, the SENSCIS trial and nintedanib for SSc-ILD.  The way this medication has been received and a recent article I wrote for The Rheumatologist gave me a nice jumping off point to cover a few more issues from this. Be sure to follow me @EBRheum to let me know what you think! The corresponding article is available here: https://www.the-rheumatologist.org/article/fda-approves-nintedanib-for-ssc-ild-but-temper-your-expectations/

Surprising RCT this week discussing the HOPE trial, which pitted 10mg prednisone against placebo for inflammatory hand OA. I do think this will change my practice, but in a far narrower sense than the headline would suggest. Check it out and find all my other content at ebrheum.com! 

Super brief "checking in" podcast this week.  In short, say "hi" at ACR, write me a review on apple podcasts, send this to a friend, and keep listening :). 

Today I dive into the emerging therapies for psoriatic arthritis, focusing on the IL17i ixekizumab and the recently published SPIRIT-H2H trial. It's a great combination of my favorite thing in RCTs (head to head trials) and my least favorite thing in RCTs (RCTs that were designed in such a way that they don't answer the question I want to know).  

This week I revisit an old paper - the 2013 ADACTA trial that assessed tocilizumab and adalimumab for patients who cannot take or were intolerant of MTX.  

This week I decided to discuss the question of HCQ and retinal toxicity.  It has been controversial the past few years and we're all trying to get a handle on how to approach this. The Hopkins SLE group released this fascinating study on a large group of patients who had blood levels tracked. Worth a read and (hopefully) a listen!  

Finally got around to tackling rituximab in SLE.  This is a tough topic: lots of people feel passionately one way or another, flawed observational data supports its use, flawed RCTs did not find significant benefit, and patients are left in the lurch.  I tried my best and came away more confident than ever that there's no clear answer.  I hope you enjoy; please send me feedback on twitter @ebrheum! 

This week I tackle an interesting cohort study that Jack Cush (@RheumNow) mentioned in his podcast.  It's a nice opportunity to discuss bDMARDs in the "real world" (AKA Sweden).  Follow me @ebrheum and let me know what you think of the episode!