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 disease progression and adjust treatment as needed. Monitoring should be done at every visit, especially after starting new medications, with particular attention to trends in protein levels to guide treatment decisions. Additionally, Monica highlights the critical role of medication adherence, noting that treatment failure is sometimes due to missed doses rather than ineffective therapy. By consistently tracking lab results and confirming patient compliance, healthcare providers can optimize lupus nephritis management.

For more expert insights, visit the RhAPP website or explore additional educational content on the RhAPP ACE App.

This video is a must-watch for rheumatologists, nephrologists, nurse practitioners, and lupus patients looking to stay updated on evidence-based monitoring strategies.

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 and retreatment rates of Ixekizumab in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) after therapy withdrawal. The randomized, placebo-controlled study followed 155 patients with axSpA who achieved remission and were either continued on Ixekizumab or switched to placebo.

Key results from the study revealed that 96% of patients who withdrew to placebo were able to recapture low disease activity upon retreatment, while 71% regained inactive disease status. These findings offer critical insights for rheumatology providers counseling patients who experience therapy interruptions due to illness, infection, surgery, or personal choice.

This discussion provides a valuable clinical perspective on IL-17 inhibitor retreatment strategies and helps answer common patient concerns about treatment withdrawal and re-initiation.

For more expert insights on IL-17 inhibition and axial spondyloarthritis management, visit RhAPP.org or explore additional educational content on the RhAPP ACE App.

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, belimumab, calcineurin inhibitors, and low-dose cyclophosphamide.

These updated recommendations emphasize precision and safety, focusing on minimizing steroid exposure while maximizing disease control through multi-targeted immune therapy.

For more rheumatology insights and clinical updates, visit the Content Rheum at RhAPP.org or download the RhAPP ACE app.

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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. assessed the safety of deucravacitinib for the treatment of psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The panel concluded that deucravacitinib has a strong safety profile, demonstrating greater efficacy than apremilast at 16 weeks, with continued improvement through 24 weeks and sustained benefits over four years in long-term trials. Unlike traditional JAK inhibitors, deucravacitinib targets the regulatory domain of TYK2, reducing off-target effects and avoiding increased rates of serious infections, venous thromboembolism (VTE), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), or malignancy.

Iris also discusses common side effects, such as upper respiratory infections, CPK elevations, mouth ulcers, and acne, as well as rare cases of rhabdomyolysis—both of which were manageable and non-recurring. She emphasizes that current data does not support a need for regular lab monitoring, though screening for TB and hepatitis remains recommended. This video offers a practical, clear overview of the latest safety data on deucravacitinib and is a must-watch for clinicians, students, and anyone interested in innovative, targeted treatments for autoimmune diseases. For more information, visit RhAPP.org and subscribe for additional expert-led rheumatology education.

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 novel calcineurin inhibitor that does not require routine therapeutic drug monitoring. The analysis demonstrates voclosporin’s ability to increase complete renal response by over 20% at one year, significantly reduce proteinuria in a shorter timeframe (29 days vs. 58 days), and deliver consistent outcomes across diverse racial and ethnic populations. Safety results were comparable to placebo, with stable blood pressure, glucose levels, and improvements in lipid profiles observed.

This update also explores the long-term extension data from AURORA-2 and aligns these findings with current lupus nephritis treatment guidelines, which now support triple therapy—including voclosporin—for patients with class V or proliferative disease. With its fast-acting and steroid-sparing profile, voclosporin continues to emerge as a valuable therapeutic option for managing active lupus nephritis. For more expert-led rheumatology education, visit RhAPP.org and explore the Content Rheum.

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/STAT signaling pathway and help you understand the immunologic rationale behind TYK2-directed therapy.

Learn how TYK2 selectively mediates cytokines like IL-12, IL-23, and Type I Interferons, and why allos­teric inhibition at the regulatory domain reduces off-target effects compared to traditional JAK inhibitors. Iris explains the differences between orthosteric vs. allosteric binding, and how deucravacitinib offers a more targeted, safer approach to reducing inflammation in autoimmune diseases.

Learn more about TYK2 inhibition and psoriasis treatment options at RhAPP.org or download the RhAPP ACE app for more educational content.

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 proteinuria and complement levels, and how to initiate and escalate treatment. The episode covers critical guidance on balancing disease control with long-term safety—especially in patients considering pregnancy—and offers insight into medication adherence strategies, monitoring protocols for agents like voclosporin, and cardiovascular risk reduction in lupus. Whether you’re a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or clinical pharmacist, this episode offers actionable insights and clinical pearls for delivering guideline-based, patient-centered care.

Stream the RhAPPcast wherever you get your podcasts, and download the new RhAPP ACE 2.0 App to access exclusive learning modules, expert forums, and more. For additional resources, visit RhAPP.org.

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 effectiveness rates in adult PsA patients. The study revealed that nearly 80% of patients continued Guselkumab treatment over six months, experiencing significant improvements in disease activity, including joint symptoms, skin manifestations, and patient-reported pain.

Cassie also examines how these findings align with phase three clinical trial data, including DISCOVER-1, DISCOVER-2, and COSMOS trials, where Guselkumab demonstrated high retention rates among patients with active PsA, including those who had previously failed TNF inhibitors. Additionally, she reviews a retrospective study from Spain that found high persistence rates at two years in patients using Guselkumab for PsA or psoriasis in clinical practice.

The discussion underscores Guselkumab’s consistent efficacy in treating psoriatic arthritis both in controlled trials and real-world settings.

For more expert insights on PsA management and biologic therapies, visit RhAPP.org and explore the RhAPP ACE App for the latest updates.