Setting Clear Goals and Acting on Them: A Framework for RA Treatment Sequencing

This episode, titled 'Setting Clear Goals and Acting on Them: A Framework for RA Treatment Sequencing,' featured Dr. Julia Buchfuhrer discussing the following critical question:

As we close out this session, what would you want every managed care professional to understanding about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management in 2026, particularly around treatment sequencing?

Dr. Julia Buchfuhrer examined the importance of reassessing patients regularly, roughly every 12 weeks, and tracking whether they are progressing toward the treatment goal rather than only checking whether the goal has been met. She emphasized that when a patient is not on track, clinicians should not hesitate to switch to a substantially different class of medication rather than persisting with a similar option. She also highlighted upadacitinib's standing as the only RA medication with three head-to-head trials all demonstrating superiority over their comparators, making it a therapy she frequently considers after a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor failure when appropriate for the patient.

Throughout the conversation, the experts provided a comprehensive reflection on the field and the factors that may shape how clinicians approach care moving forward.