{
  "id": 9196053,
  "title": "Rheumatic immune-related adverse events with immune checkpoint inhibitors more severe than previously reported",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/rheumatic-immune-related-adverse-events-with-immune-checkpoint",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-22T21:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-rheumatic-immune-adverse-events-checkpoint.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study published in ACR Open Rheumatology reveals that rheumatic immune-related adverse events (rh-irAEs) experienced by patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are more severe than previously understood. The research, conducted by Didzis Gailis and colleagues from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität University Hospital in Munich, analyzed a multicenter observational registry of adults undergoing ICI therapy. Of the 60 patients included in the study, 90% experienced moderate or severe rh-irAEs. The most common phenotype was rheumatoid arthritis-like polyarthritis, followed by polymyalgia rheumatica-like and peripheral spondyloarthritis-like syndrome. Younger patients were more likely to exhibit axial spondyloarthritis-like syndrome. Ninety percent of patients required systemic glucocorticoids (GCs), with 23.3% needing hospitalization and 38.3% permanently discontinuing ICI treatment. While 85% of patients used GCs, 58.3% and 53.3% of them were deemed GC-refractory and required second-line immunomodulatory therapy, respectively. Despite these challenges, 33.3% achieved complete remission and 51.7% partial remission. The study found that the strongest predictor of the need for second-line systemic therapy was male sex. Notably, 53.3% of patients required immunomodulatory therapy beyond GCs. The authors emphasize that the therapeutic demand for rh-irAEs, particularly in a rheumatologist-referred setting, is greater than previously reported.",
  "summary": "For patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), rheumatic immune-related adverse events (rh-irAEs) are usually moderate or severe, with more than one-third leading to permanent ICI discontinuation, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in ACR Open Rheumatology.",
  "key_points": [
    "Rheumatic rh-irAEs more severe than previously known",
    "90% of ICI patients experienced moderate/severe rh-irAEs",
    "23.3% of patients hospitalized due to rh-irAEs"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}