RhAPPcast

In this episode of RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers (RhAPP), host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, dives into the evolving role of TYK2 inhibition in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Joined by special guest and PsA expert Eileen Lydon, NP, the episode unpacks the science behind the TYK2/STAT signaling pathway, how it differs from traditional JAK inhibition,...

Hydroxychloroquine is a cornerstone therapy in rheumatology, offering significant benefits for mild rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus. In this video, Jessica Farrell, PharmD, clinical pharmacist in rheumatology at Albany Medical Center and faculty at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, explores the dosing, safety, and clinical applications of hydroxychloroquine. Jessica Farrell expla...

In this FAQ Video Module, Christy Vath, PA-C, a seasoned rheumatology expert from Seattle Rheumatology Associates, explores how the selectivity of TYK2 and JAK enzyme inhibition impacts safety profiles. She provides a clear comparison between traditional pan-JAK inhibitors and selective TYK2 inhibitors like deucravacitinib, highlighting their differing mechanisms of action and clinical implication...

Join Monica Richey, NP, with 20+ years of experience in Rheumatology, as she breaks down the latest 2024 ACR guidelines for monitoring lupus nephritis. Learn the best practices for urine testing, protein-creatinine ratios, and medication adjustments to ensure optimal patient care. She emphasizes the importance of regular urine tests, protein-creatinine ratio checks, and full blood panels to track...

Join Audrey Gibson, PA-C, a seasoned rheumatology provider at the Arthritis Center of North Georgia with 18 years of clinical experience, as she explores the question: Can patients recapture their response to IL-17 inhibitor therapy after an interruption or discontinuation? In this discussion, Audrey reviews key findings from a pivotal clinical trial by Landewé et al., which examined the recapture...

In this expert-led video, Stacey Johnson, NP-C, from the Montana Arthritis Center, breaks down the 2024 ACR Guidelines for Lupus Nephritis and highlights key treatment strategies—including hydroxychloroquine dosing, steroid pulse and taper regimens, and the role of triple therapy. Learn how to tailor treatment for Class III, IV, and V Lupus Nephritis using combinations like mycophenolate, belimuma...

Join Iris Zink, a rheumatology nurse practitioner with over 25 years of experience, as she explores the safety profile of TYK2 inhibitors, with a focus on deucravacitinib—an oral, first-in-class selective TYK2 inhibitor. In this video, Iris reviews key findings from a February 2025 expert consensus published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, where 10 leading dermatologists across the U.S. as...

Join Danielle Gatti Palumbo, Clinical Pharmacist at Northwell Health Division of Rheumatology, as she presents an integrated analysis of clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of voclosporin in the treatment of lupus nephritis. Drawing from the AURA-LV and AURORA-1 trials—two of the largest lupus nephritis studies conducted to date—this update highlights voclosporin’s unique role as a...

In this video, Iris Zink, rheumatology nurse practitioner and clinic owner in East Lansing, Michigan, breaks down the mechanism of action of deucravacitinib, a first-in-class oral selective TYK2 inhibitor, and explains its role in managing psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. With over 25 years of experience serving underserved populations, Iris uses memorable analogies to simplify the complex TYK2/...

In this episode of RhAPPcast, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, is joined by Monica Richey, NP, and Danielle Gatti-Palumbo, PharmD, for a practical and engaging discussion on how to apply the 2023 ACR guidelines for lupus nephritis to real-world clinical practice. Together, they walk through a complex patient case, highlighting key decision points including when to order a kidney biopsy, how to interpret p...

Join Cassie Dolecki, PharmD, a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Rheumatology at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as she explores the real-world effectiveness of Guselkumab in the management of psoriatic arthritis. This discussion highlights recent findings from the CorEvitas Psoriatic Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis Registry, which assessed six-month persistence and effectivene...

Join Iris Zink, a seasoned rheumatology nurse practitioner with over 25 years of experience, as she explains the TYK2/STAT signaling pathway and the immunologic rationale behind TYK2-directed therapy for treating psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis. This video breaks down how TYK2 inhibitors—like deucravacitinib—selectively target the regulatory domain of the TYK2 enzyme, distinguishing them from tr...

Join Amanda Mixon, PA-C, President of RhAPP, as she hosts an insightful discussion with Will Saalfeld, NP, a leading rheumatology expert and RhAPP faculty member. In this episode, they break down the key differences between IL-17A and IL-17F inhibition and explore how these distinctions impact patient outcomes in rheumatology. IL-17A and IL-17F play central roles in inflammation and autoimmune dis...

In this video, Jessica Farrell, PharmD—clinical pharmacist at Albany Medical Center and professor at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences—explains the clinically meaningful differences between voclosporin and other calcineurin inhibitors, such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus, in the treatment of lupus nephritis. She highlights how voclosporin’s unique molecular structure leads to increase...

Welcome to RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers (RhAPP). In this episode, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, kicks off a three-part series exploring some of the most impactful updates in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) from the 2024 ACR Convergence meeting. Joining Amanda is Daric Mueller, PA-C, who shares expert insights on emerging therapies, including zazocitinib (TAK-279...

Welcome back to RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers. In Part 2 of our Psoriatic Arthritis ACR wrap-up series, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, and guest Daric Mueller, PA-C, explore new data from ACR Convergence 2024 that could change how we think about long-term outcomes in PsA care. In this episode, we examine two important abstracts with major clinical implicatio...

Welcome back to RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers (RhAPP). In the final episode of our three-part series covering highlights from ACR Convergence 2024, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, is joined once again by Daric Mueller, PA-C, to explore two more important abstracts shaping the future of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) care. This episode dives into new insights on tr...

In this episode of RhAPPcast, Amanda Mixon, PA-C, President of RhAPP, sits down with Kyle George, PA-C, to explore the real-world impact of Guselkumab in Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) management. As a leading IL-23 inhibitor, Guselkumab offers durable efficacy, strong persistence, and a favorable safety profile, making it a key option for biologic-naïve patients and those with TNF inhibitor failure. C...

Learn about the safety profile and monitoring requirements of voclosporin for lupus nephritis with Jessica Farrell, PharmD, an experienced rheumatology pharmacist and faculty member at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. In this video, Jessica Farrell explains what makes voclosporin—a second-generation calcineurin inhibitor—unique, including its increased potency, improved pharmaco...

Join Danielle Gatti Palumbo, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist, RhAPP faculty member, and RhAPP Board member, as she breaks down a network meta-analysis evaluating the efficacy of biologics with and without methotrexate (MTX) in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This insightful journal club discussion highlights key findings on whether MTX is necessary as background therapy when initiating b...

Join Jessica Farrell, PharmD, professor at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and clinical pharmacist at Albany Medical Center, as she breaks down the pivotal AURORA 1 and AURORA 2 clinical trials evaluating voclosporin for lupus nephritis. Learn how this second-generation calcineurin inhibitor demonstrated superior renal outcomes, including higher complete and partial renal respon...

Join Danielle Gatti Palumbo, Clinical Pharmacist at Northwell Health’s Division of Rheumatology in Long Island, New York, as she provides a comprehensive review of Voclosporin (Lupkynis), an FDA-approved calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) for the treatment of lupus nephritis. This discussion is essential for healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and patients seeking a deeper understanding of how Voclosp...

In this expert breakdown, Cassie Dolecki, PharmD, a clinical pharmacy specialist in rheumatology at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, discusses the effectiveness of Guselkumab across the GRAPPA domains, drawing insights from the DISCOVER-2 trial and additional post-hoc analyses. As a phase 3 clinical trial, DISCOVER-2 evaluated Guselkumab in biologic-naïve patients with active...

In this expert discussion, Katie Springer, PA-C, a rheumatology specialist with Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, explores the effectiveness of IL-17 inhibitors in managing the nail-DIP complex in psoriatic arthritis. Nail involvement in PsA is more than just a cosmetic concern—it is strongly linked to DIP joint disease and systemic enthesitis. The nail itself is now understood to be an...

In this video, Lisa Asfahani, PA-C, shares clinical insights on the evolving role of calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) in the treatment of lupus nephritis (LN), as outlined in the new 2024 ACR Guidelines. With over 11 years of experience in rheumatology at a private practice in Temecula, California, Lisa walks through the mechanism of action of CNIs—including how they inhibit IL-2 production by bindin...