Kevzara (sarilumab) / Asahi Kasei Therapeutics, Regeneron, Sanofi - LARVOL DELTA

PHASE 2 STUDY OF UBAMATAMAB ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH ADDITIONAL AGENTS IN PATIENTS WITH PLATINUM-RESISTANT OVARIAN CANCER: TRIAL IN PROGRESS (IGCS 2026) - P2 | "Combination arms include ubamatamab + standard doses of bevacizumab (Arm B), triple immunotherapy (ubamatamab + cemiplimab + fianlimab; Arm C), and ubamatamab + pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Arm D). Patients will receive sarilumab prophylaxis to mitigate CRS risk...Primary completion is December 2028. With limited immunotherapy options in PROC, ubamatamab may offer a novel approach."

Clinical • Combination therapy • P2 data • Platinum resistant • Oncology • Ovarian Cancer • Solid Tumor

Risk of Diverticulitis in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated With IL-6 Inhibitors Versus JAK Inhibitors: A Real-World Propensity-Matched Study (ACG 2026) - "Two mutually exclusive cohorts were defined: IL-6 inhibitor users (tocilizumab, sarilumab, siltuximab) without JAK inhibitor exposure, and JAK inhibitor users (tofacitinib, baricitinib, upadacitinib, filgotinib) without IL-6 exposure...Outcomes were assessed at 5 years, 10 years, and all follow-up after 1:1 propensity score matching for age, sex, diabetes, obesity, tobacco use, prior diverticular disease, alcohol-related disorders, NSAID, glucocorticoid, and methotrexate use... After matching, 10,459 patients remained per cohort, well-balanced (all standardized differences < =0.04). At 5 years, diverticulitis occurred in 160 IL-6 patients (1.6%) versus 146 JAK patients (1.4%): RR 1.092 (95% CI 0.874-1.365), p=0.436; HR 1.196 (0.955-1.497). At 10 years, 192 (1.9%) versus 172 (1.7%): RR 1.113 (0.907-1.365), p=0.304; HR 1.182 (0.962-1.453)."

Clinical • Real-world • Real-world evidence • Diabetes • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Genetic Disorders • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Arthritis • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Metabolic Disorders • Obesity • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology

Rectal Mucosal Melanoma: A Rare and Aggressive Malignancy Discovered on Routine Colonoscopy (ACG 2026) - "He enrolled in a trial involving sarilumab with ipilimumab, nivolumab, and relatlimab, then transitioned to ipilimumab plus nivolumab following rapid hepatic progression. Immunotherapy has demonstrated limited efficacy in mucosal subtypes, which harbor distinct molecular profiles and lower tumor mutational burden. This case highlights the importance of thorough pathologic analysis of rectal polyps and awareness of this rare but morbid diagnosis."

IO biomarker • Tumor mutational burden • Colonic Polyps • Cutaneous Melanoma • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Melanoma • Mucosal Melanoma • Oncology • Solid Tumor • SOX10 • TMB • VIM

Risks of breast or prostate cancer recurrence and a second cancer in patients with inflammatory arthritis following treatment with biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs - A nationwide cohort study (EULAR 2026) - "Eligible drugs included all five TNFi, non-TNFi bDMARDs (abatacept, rituximab, sarilumab, tocilizumab (for RA), sekukinumab, ixekizumab, bimekizumab (for SpA/PsA), and tsDMARDs, that is JAK inhibitors (baricitinib, filgotinib, tofacitinib, upadacitinib). The corresponding analyses of non-TNFi-bDMARDs, and in particular tsDMARDs, were limited by few events. The findings are clinically reassuring, supporting the safety of TNFi when treating IA in patients with a prior breast or prostate cancer."

Clinical • Ankylosing Spondylitis • Breast Cancer • Genito-urinary Cancer • Immunology • Inflammatory Arthritis • Oncology • Prostate Cancer • Psoriatic Arthritis • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology • Seronegative Spondyloarthropathies • Solid Tumor • Spondylarthritis

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for rheumatoid arthritis after failure of biologic or targeted synthetic therapy: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. (PubMed, Cochrane Database Syst Rev) - "We found high-certainty evidence that nine therapies and moderate-certainty evidence that two therapies provide a clinically important benefit in improving disease activity compared to placebo for people with rheumatoid arthritis after failure of b/ts DMARD therapy. There was significant uncertainty surrounding treatment-related harms, with the evidence having been downgraded for serious or extremely serious imprecision. Pair-wise comparisons showed no significant differences among therapies, although the certainty of evidence was low. The lack of clarity regarding safety and comparative efficacy suggests that treatment decisions should be guided by individual patient characteristics and preferences."

Clinical • Journal • Retrospective data • Review • Fatigue • Immunology • Infectious Disease • Inflammatory Arthritis • Oncology • Pain • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology • IL6

Infection Risk Associated with Steroid-Sparing Therapies in GCA, PMR, and ANCA-Associated Vasculitis: A Systematic Review. (PubMed, Joint Bone Spine) - "Steroid-sparing therapies reduced glucocorticoid exposure with varying magnitudes but were not consistently associated with lower infection risk. These findings underscore the heightened risk of infection when these novel therapies are used in combination with glucocorticoids when the glucocorticoid dose cannot be adequately tapered, particularly in older adults."

Journal • ANCA Vasculitis • Giant Cell Arteritis • Immunology • Infectious Disease • Musculoskeletal Pain • Pain • Polymyalgia Rheumatica • Rheumatology • Vasculitis

Risk of Malignant Melanoma with biologic- or targeted synthetic disease-modifying therapies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a Swedish Nationwide Cohort Study (EULAR 2026) - "Exposures were categorized as (i) JAKi (baricitinib, filgotinib, upadacitinib, tofacitinib), (ii) non-TNFi (abatacept, rituximab, sarilumab, tocilizumab), and (iii) TNFi (adalimumab, certolizumab, etanercept, golimumab, infliximab). However, for both drug classes there were signals of an internal shift in the distribution of invasive (approximately 1 extra annual case for every 2000 patients) vs. in situ MM (approximately 1 fewer annual case for every 2000 patients). Abatacept was associated with an increased risk of MM overall."

Clinical • Congestive Heart Failure • Coronary Artery Disease • Diabetes • Genetic Disorders • Heart Failure • Immune Modulation • Immunology • Infectious Disease • Inflammatory Arthritis • Melanoma • Metabolic Disorders • Nephrology • Non-melanoma Skin Cancer • Pulmonary Disease • Renal Disease • Respiratory Diseases • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology • Skin Cancer • Solid Organ Transplantation • Solid Tumor

IRIS: Study of Sarilumab With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Rechallenge in Patients With Clinically Significant Immune Related Adverse Events (clinicaltrials.gov) - P2 | N=41 | Not yet recruiting | Sponsor: Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

Adverse events • Checkpoint inhibition • New P2 trial • Oncology • Solid Tumor

Effectiveness of Sarilumab versus Methotrexate as Glucocorticoid-sparing Therapy in Polymyalgia Rheumatica (ACR Convergence 2026) - "In this extended follow-up exceeding 12 months, SAR demonstrated sustained and clinically meaningful GC-sparing benefit over MTX as a GC-sparing agent in PMR, with earlier GC discontinuation and lower cumulative GC exposure. The increasing benefit over time was driven by higher discontinuation rates than dose reduction, supporting SAR as a preferred GC-sparing strategy in PMR patients with prior GC exposure."

Giant Cell Arteritis • Immunology • Musculoskeletal Pain • Polymyalgia Rheumatica • Rheumatology

Real-World Sarilumab Prescribing Patterns for Polymyalgia Rheumatica in the United States Three Years After FDA Approval (ACR Convergence 2026) - No abstract available

Clinical • Real-world • Real-world evidence • Giant Cell Arteritis • Immunology • Musculoskeletal Pain • Polymyalgia Rheumatica • Rheumatology

Impact of Baseline Disease Activity on Sarilumab Response: Extended Post-hoc Analyses of Dose and Treatment Regimen Across Baseline CDAI Strata in Phase III Trials (ACR Convergence 2026) - No abstract available

P3 data • Retrospective data • Immunology • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology

Sarilumab in Refractory and/or Glucocorticoid-Dependent Polymyalgia Rheumatica Beyond the SAPHYR Trial: Real-World Outcomes from a Multicenter Spanish Cohort (ACR Convergence 2026) - No abstract available

Clinical • Real-world • Real-world evidence • Giant Cell Arteritis • Immunology • Musculoskeletal Pain • Polymyalgia Rheumatica • Rheumatology

Early Use of Sarilumab in Patients with Glucocorticoid-Resistant PMR Improves Outcomes - Insights from Randomized Controlled Trial and Real-World Data (ACR Convergence 2026) - No abstract available

Clinical • Real-world • Real-world evidence • Vasculitis

A phase II study of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor blocking antibody sarilumab (Sari) in combination with ipilimumab (Ipi), nivolumab (Nivo) and relatlimab (Rela) in patients with unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma. (ASCO 2025) - P2 | "Nivo, Rela, Ipi, + Sari demonstrated encouraging efficacy and tolerability. At 24 weeks, 63.6% BORR and 12.1% gr 3/4 irAE rate were observed. 2 patients had gr 4 toxicity; no gr 5 events were reported."

Clinical • Combination therapy • IO biomarker • Metastases • P2 data • Immunology • Melanoma • Mucosal Melanoma • Oncology • Solid Tumor • BRAF • IL4 • IL6

Patterns of Sarilumab Stepdown and Discontinuation and Glucocorticoid Utilization in Polymyalgia Rheumatica in Clinical Practice (ACR Convergence 2026) - No abstract available

Clinical • Giant Cell Arteritis • Immunology • Musculoskeletal Pain • Polymyalgia Rheumatica • Rheumatology

POPS or POP02: Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Safety Profile of Understudied Drugs Administered to Children Per Standard of Care (POPS) (clinicaltrials.gov) - P=N/A | N=5000 | Recruiting | Sponsor: Duke University | Trial completion date: Jul 2027 ➔ Dec 2026 | Trial primary completion date: Mar 2027 ➔ Nov 2026

Trial completion date • Trial primary completion date • ADHD (Impulsive Aggression) • Asthma • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia • Cardiovascular • CNS Disorders • Dermatology • Developmental Disorders • Endocrine Disorders • Genetic Disorders • Gynecology • Heart Failure • Hematological Disorders • Hemophilia • Hypertension • Immunology • Infectious Disease • Insomnia • Metabolic Disorders • Nephrology • Novel Coronavirus Disease • Pain • Pneumonia • Psychiatry • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension • Pulmonary Disease • Rare Diseases • Renal Disease • Respiratory Diseases • Sleep Disorder

Interleukin-6 as a therapeutic target in Diabetic macular edema: current evidence and future perspectives. (PubMed, Expert Opin Ther Targets) - "We discuss the crosstalk between IL-6 and VEGF, review current evidence for IL-6-targeting agents, including tocilizumab and sarilumab, and evaluate their therapeutic potential, particularly in treatment-resistant DME. By modulating both VEGF-dependent and VEGF-independent pathways, IL-6 inhibition represents a promising therapeutic strategy for refractory DME. Although direct clinical evidence remains limited, advances in biomarker-guided patient selection, local drug delivery systems, and combination approaches with anti-VEGF therapy may facilitate the development of precision medicine for DME."

Journal • Review • Diabetic Macular Edema • Diabetic Retinopathy • Inflammation • Ocular Inflammation • Ophthalmology • Retinal Disorders • IL6

Clinical characteristics of bloodstream infections in the patients receiving anti-IL-6 receptor antibody. (PubMed, Infection) - "In anti-IL6R recipients, BSI frequently lacked typical signs such as fever but often resulted in severe outcomes. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for complicated BSI in this population."

Journal • Cardiovascular • Infectious Disease • Ischemic stroke • Pneumonia • Rheumatology • Septic Shock

Non-standard treatments use in Giant Cell Arteritis: Data from the Large Vessel Vasculitis French Study Group (EULAR 2026) - "Methods This multicenter retrospective cohort study included patients fulfilling the 2022 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for GCA who required at least one OLT, defined as any GC sparing agent for other than Methotrexate (MTX) or Tocilizumab (TCZ), with a minimum follow-up of 26 weeks after OLT introduction [1]...The primary outcome was the proportion of patients achieving a favorable response, defined as the absence of clinical manifestations attributable to GCA while receiving ≤5 mg/day of prednisone after 26 weeks of OLT...The OLTs included secukinumab for 29 patients (51.8%), sarilumab for 9 patients (16.1%), upadacitinib for 4 patients (7.1%), tofacitinib for 4 patients (7.1%), ustekinumab for two patients (3.6%), infliximab for one patient (1.8%), abatacept for one patient (1.8%), mycophenolate mofetil for one patient (1.8%), cyclophosphamide for one patient (1.8%), azathioprine for one patient (1.8%), ruxolitinib for one patient (1.8%) and anakinra for one..."

Cardiovascular • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Giant Cell Arteritis • Hematological Disorders • Immunology • Interstitial Lung Disease • Musculoskeletal Pain • Neutropenia • Pulmonary Disease • Respiratory Diseases • Vasculitis

Real-World Drug Retention and Determinants of Discontinuation of JAK Inhibitors and Biological DMARDs in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cohort Study of 1,725 Treatment Episodes (EULAR 2026) - "bDMARDs were categorized as TNFi (N=733), IL-6R inhibitors (tocilizumab/sarilumab; N=310), and CTLA4-Ig (abanacept; N=132)...Factors associated with discontinuation (full cohort, n=1,725; discontinuations=1,179): Compared with baricitinib (reference): Filgotinib: HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.56–1.15 Upadacitinib: HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.35–1.34 Tofacitinib: HR 1.33, 95% CI 0.91–1.93 Peficitinib: HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.17–3.79, p = 0.012 TNFi: HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.17–1.91, p = 0.001 IL-6R inhibitors: HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.61–2.67, p < 0.001 CTLA4-Ig: HR 2.15, 95% CI 1.26–2.87, p < 0.001 Additional significant predictors: GC co-administration: HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.07–1.36, p = 0.001 Treatment line effect: 2nd line: HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.14–1.61 3rd line: HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.26–2.19 ≥4th line: HR 1.98, 95% CI 1.44–2.71, p < 0.001 Prior IL-6R inhibitor exposure showed a trend toward higher discontinuation (HR 1.80,p=0.067)...Treatment discontinuation was strongly influenced by treatment line, GC..."

Clinical • Real-world • Real-world evidence • Immunology • Inflammatory Arthritis • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology • MMP3

RA-PROPR: RA-PRO PRAGMATIC TRIAL (clinicaltrials.gov) - P3 | N=924 | Recruiting | Sponsor: University of Alabama at Birmingham | Trial completion date: Dec 2028 ➔ Jul 2029 | Trial primary completion date: Feb 2027 ➔ May 2029

HEOR • Real-world evidence • Trial completion date • Trial primary completion date • Immunology • Inflammatory Arthritis • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology

Non-melanoma skin cancer risk with Janus kinase inhibitors compared to interleukin-6 receptor inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis: results from a national cohort study (EULAR 2026) - "People with RA initiating their first JAKi (tofacitinib, baricitinib, upadacitinib, filgotinib) or first IL-6Ri (tocilizumab originator, tocilizumab biosimilar, or sarilumab) without prior exposure to the comparator class and history of skin cancer were included. After propensity score weighting, the difference between JAKi and IL-6Ri was not statistically significant (HR, 1.69, 95% CI 0.78-3.65). Conclusions This cohort analysis did not identify a statistically significant difference in the risk of NMSC between JAKi and IL-6Ri, with a median follow-up of 3.3 years in the JAKi cohort in the primary analysis."

Genetic Disorders • Immunology • Inflammatory Arthritis • Non-melanoma Skin Cancer • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology • Skin Cancer • Solid Tumor

“The Canadian Drug Expert Committee recommends that sarilumab be reimbursed for the treatment of adult patients with PMR whose disease has responded inadequately to corticosteroids, or whose disease has relapsed during corticosteroid taper, only if the conditions listed in…are met.” (Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health)

Reimbursement • Immunology

Lipid changes after interleukin-6 blockade in rheumatoid arthritis: beyond cholesterol elevation toward hepatic inflammatory-lipoprotein remodeling. (PubMed, Front Cardiovasc Med) - "After IL-6 pathway inhibition, particularly with tocilizumab and sarilumab, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol often increase early; however, these changes may occur alongside reductions in C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, lipoprotein(a), fibrinogen, and D-dimers, as well as selected improvements in lipoprotein function. Current hard cardiovascular outcome data generally support cardiovascular neutrality rather than a clear increase in major adverse cardiovascular events, although uncertainty remains for specific outcomes, vascular territories, and patient subgroups. Overall, lipid elevation after IL-6 blockade should prompt contextual cardiovascular risk refinement rather than reflexive interpretation as isolated cholesterol-mediated harm."

Journal • Review • Cardiovascular • Dyslipidemia • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Arthritis • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology • CRP • IL6

OPALS: Phase 1b/2 Study of IV Sarilumab in Adult With RA (clinicaltrials.gov) - P1/2 | N=140 | Recruiting | Sponsor: Sanofi

New P1/2 trial • Immunology • Inflammatory Arthritis • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology