RhAPPcast

Join Ingrid Pan, PharmD, Pediatric Clinical Pharmacist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, as she reviews the latest findings from the Phase 1 trial of Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) in treating pediatric polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). This interim analysis, published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, explores the potential of JAK1-selective inhibition in pediatric rheumatology....

In this RhAPPcast episode, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, welcomes Jeannette Hart, PA-C, a seasoned rheumatology provider and RhAPP faculty member, to explore the consequences of treatment delays and strategies for ensuring timely intervention. Delaying optimal treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthropathies (SpA) can lead to irreversible joint damage, disease progression, and diminish...

Join Jessica Farrell, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist at Albany Med’s Division of Rheumatology and Professor at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, for an in-depth review of a pivotal study published in Rheumatology and Therapy (March 2024) by Fleischmann et al. This RhAPP Journal Club session explores long-term clinical outcomes and safety data for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients switc...

Join Stacey Johnson, NP-C, as she explains the two primary remission criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) recommended by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR). These guidelines define remission using two key approaches: the Boolean-based definition and the Index-based definition. The Boolean 2.0 criteria evaluate four key fa...

Join Danielle Gatti Palumbo, PharmD, clinical pharmacist at Northwell Health, Division of Rheumatology in Long Island, New York, as she provides an in-depth review of Guselkumab (Tremfya®) and its use in treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Guselkumab is FDA-approved for psoriasis and PsA and can be used alone or in combination with methotrexate or lef...

Welcome to RhAPPcast, the official podcast for Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers (RhAPP). In this episode, Amanda Mixon, PA-C, RhAPP President, sits down with Wendy Simmons, PA-C, to explore the evolving landscape of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment and the journey toward sustained remission. Achieving remission in RA requires a multifaceted approach, incorporating clinical assessment to...

Join Dr. Claudia Rivera Salas, DNP, NP-C, a rheumatology nurse practitioner in East Lansing, Michigan, as she explores the variability in JAK enzyme inhibition across available JAK inhibitors and the potential clinical implications of these differences. JAK inhibitors have significantly advanced the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and inflammator...

Welcome to RhAPPcast, the official podcast for Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers (RhAPP). In this episode, Amanda Mixon, PA-C, RhAPP President, sits down with William Saalfeld, NP, to discuss the evolving science of IL-23 inhibition and CD64 binding in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). CD64 upregulation plays a significant role in immune cell activa...

Join Kyle George, PA-C, a rheumatology specialist in Idaho, as he clarifies the fundamental differences between biosimilars and generic drugs—an essential topic for both healthcare providers and patients navigating treatment options. Generic drugs are chemically synthesized and identical to their brand-name counterparts in active ingredients, dosage, and administration. They undergo FDA approval b...

Join Heather Mambretti, PA-C, a rheumatology specialist in Houston, Texas, as she breaks down the key findings of the Oral Surveillance Study and discusses what they mean for clinical practice. This critical safety trial compared JAK inhibitors to TNF inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with cardiovascular risk factors, leading to significant regulatory changes by the FDA. The Oral Su...

Wendy Simmons, PA-C, a rheumatology specialist at Carolina Arthritis Associates in Wilmington, North Carolina, explores the safety profile of Ixekizumab, a biologic therapy for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA). With over 26 years of clinical experience, Wendy provides essential insights into potential risks, patient monitoring, and long-term safety considerations for t...

Join Jessica Farrell, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist at Albany Med's Division of Rheumatology and professor at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, as she reviews a critical study on the safety of upadacitinib across multiple indications. Patient concerns about medication safety remain a major barrier to initiating biologics and targeted synthetic therapies. This study, published in RMD...

Join Heather Mambretti, PA-C, a rheumatology specialist in Houston, Texas, as she explores the critical role of IL-23 in autoimmune disease pathogenesis and how IL-23 inhibitors have revolutionized treatment strategies for psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IL-23 is a key cytokine produced by dendritic and m...

Welcome to RhAPPcast, the official voice of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers (RhAPP). In this special episode, Amanda Mixon, PA-C, RhAPP President, sits down with Kris, a patient who shares his firsthand experience transitioning from adalimumab (Humira) to a biosimilar after years of stability on biologic therapy. Kris opens up about his journey with rheumatoid arthritis, from diagnosis to...

Join Kyle George, PA-C, a rheumatology physician assistant in Idaho, as he reviews the dosing recommendations for Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) across rheumatology, gastroenterology, and dermatology. Upadacitinib is a selective JAK1 inhibitor used for a range of immune-mediated diseases. In adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and non-radio...

Join Dr. Claudia Rivera Salas, DNP, NP-C, a rheumatology nurse practitioner in East Lansing, Michigan, as she explores the immunologic rationale behind JAK-STAT pathway inhibition in rheumatic and inflammatory diseases. The JAK-STAT pathway plays a crucial role in cytokine signaling and immune regulation. Dysregulation of this pathway is a key driver of chronic inflammation in autoimmune diseases,...

Join Ingrid Pan, PharmD, a pediatric clinical pharmacist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, as she explores the mechanism of action of Upadacitinib (Rinvoq), a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor used in the treatment of rheumatologic and autoimmune conditions. Upadacitinib is a selective JAK1 inhibitor, designed to target cytokine signaling pathways involved in inflammation, immune regulation, and disease...

Join Kyle George, PA-C, a rheumatology specialist in Idaho, as he examines the immunologic basis for IL-17 inhibition in treating psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). IL-17A, a pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by TH17 cells, plays a crucial role in driving chronic inflammation in spondyloarthropathies. Elevated IL-17 lev...

Join Heather Mambretti, PA-C, a rheumatology specialist with over 12 years of experience in the Houston Metro area, as she provides an in-depth look at the JAK-STAT signaling pathway—a fundamental mechanism in immune regulation and chronic inflammation. This pathway plays a crucial role in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory bowel dise...

Join Robert Laugherty, PA-C, JD, a rheumatology specialist with over 16 years of experience, as he explores IL-17, a key cytokine involved in immune defense and chronic inflammatory diseases. IL-17 plays a critical role in host protection against extracellular bacteria and fungi, while its dysregulation contributes to autoimmune conditions such as psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and r...

Join Kyle George, PA-C, a rheumatology specialist in Idaho, as he explores the critical role of interchangeable biosimilars in modern healthcare. Biosimilars are biologic medical products that closely resemble FDA-approved reference biologics, demonstrating no clinically meaningful differences in safety, efficacy, or potency. However, not all biosimilars receive the interchangeability designation—...

Join Amber Hudgins, PharmD, a pharmacist specializing in rheumatology and specialty pharmacy at Novant Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as she provides a concise yet insightful review of the long-term safety of Guselkumab in patients with psoriatic disease, including psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. This discussion highlights a comprehensive integrated analysis of 11 Phase 2 and Phase 3...

Join Danielle Gatti Palumbo, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist at Northwell Health’s Division of Rheumatology in Long Island, New York, as she explains the concept of non-responder imputation (NRI), a widely used statistical method in clinical trials for handling missing data. Non-responder imputation assumes that participants with missing data are classified as non-responders to treatment. This conse...

Welcome to RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers (RhAPP). In this episode, Amanda Mixon, PA-C, President of RhAPP, is joined by Kyle George, PA-C, to explore the world of biosimilars and how APPs can confidently educate patients about these treatments. As biosimilars gain traction in rheumatology, understanding their role in clinical practice is essential. Thi...

Christy Vath, PA-C, from Seattle Rheumatology in Washington, provides a concise yet insightful overview of the mechanism of action of Ixekizumab, a targeted IL-17A inhibitor designed for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis (PSO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Ixekizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively targets IL-17A, a key...