Addressing Real-World Practice Gaps in the Management of RA
Program Overview
Is a JAK inhibitor an oral IL-6 inhibitor? Is there a typical “TNFi-patient” versus an “IL-6i patient?” How do IL-6 inhibitors affect mood if they do not cross the blood-brain barrier? We have sourced some of the most pressing questions about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from leaders around the world, and then brought them together to discuss them. We have also asked a patient with RA about her experience with the disease and its treatment. In this activity, we put their expert opinions against a patient’s true story. Will they match up?
This educational activity is designed for rheumatology healthcare professionals who manage patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Educational Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:
Describe involvement of the IL-6 signaling pathway in the pathophysiology, extra-articular symptomology, and associated comorbidities of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the role of cytokine-targeted therapy in the treatment of RA
Incorporate validated and guideline-recommended RA disease activity monitoring to guide appropriate management of patients
Use a treat-to-target approach for managing RA that personalizes therapy by cycling or switching treatment options in nonresponsive patients, and takes into account data for new and emerging biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs
Incorporate patient preferences, shared decision making, and patient education into the management plan for patients with RA
Activity Faculty
Paul Emery, MA, MD, FRCP, FMedSci, MARC (Chair)
Arthritis Research UK Professor, Rheumatology Director, NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine
University of Leeds
Leeds, UK
Leonard H. Calabrese, DO
Professor, Medicine
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University Vice Chairman, Department of Rheumatic and Immunological Diseases
R. J. Fasenmyer Chair of Clinical Immunology
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH
Ernest Choy, MD, FRCP
Professor, Head of Rheumatology and Translational Research
Division of Infection and Immunity Director, Arthritis Research UK CREATE Centre and Welsh Arthritis Research Network (WARN)
Cardiff University School of Medicine
Cardiff, UK