Yalamanchili et al. describe how trends in disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) use have evolved for insured, U.S. patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Overall, the study found that from 2000 to 2022 in this patient population the use of biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs rose, while the use of conventional synthetic DMARDs declined.

Growing Up
SAN DIEGO—In the pre-ACR Convergence 2023 Review Course, Rebecca Sadun, MD, PhD, assistant professor in medicine and pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C., focused on transitions from pediatric to adult rheumatology care for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Changing Treatment Patterns for Patients with JIA
A study from Glerup et al. demonstrated that many patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis achieved drug-free remission over 18 years of follow-up and that remission rates remained stable between years 8 and 18 of the study period.

Baricitinib Promising for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
In a study from Ramanan et al., baricitinib proved safe and effective for reducing the time to flare and frequency of flare in patients aged 2–18 years with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

European Medicines Agency Committee Issues Positive Opinion for Secukinumab in Pediatric Arthritic Disease
In the E.U., secukinumab is edging closer to approval for use in pediatric patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), specifically those with enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) and juvenile psoriatic arthritis (PsA). In May, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency issued a positive opinion on expanding its indications.

A Possible Diagnostic Tool: RheumMadness 2022 AI: JIA Subtypes Scouting Report
Machine learning is a tool that may help pediatric rheumatologists distinguish between different subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and predict treatment response.
Tofacitinib Yields Rapid & Sustained Improvement in JIA
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Tofacitinib significantly reduces the number of flares in children with polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), according to the first phase-3 clinical trial to assess the efficacy of a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor in JIA. JIA is a heterogeneous group of chronic conditions with no known cause that develop before age 16…

Management of Adults with JIA: Uveitis, MAS & More
Mara L. Becker, MD, MSCE, discusses how important it is to effectively treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis at an early stage to improve long-term outcomes in adulthood.

The State of Clinical Science for Pediatric Rheumatology in 2021
ACR Convergence 2021—The Pediatric Rheumatology Year in Review began with a fascinating talk by Mara Becker, MD, MSCE, a professor of Pediatrics and vice chair of faculty at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C. Dr. Becker began by describing her search strategy to select high-yield clinical science publications in pediatric rheumatology from the past…

Treatment Factors to Consider in Patients with JIA
Weighing treatment options and adjusting them to meet the needs of patients with JIA is a complicated process. Experts discussed factors influencing treatment options, optimizing treatment doses and possibilities for treatment withdrawal for these patients.