5 Rheumatology Headlines You Missed in November 2025

November brought a wave of impactful rheumatology updates spanning gout, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), lupus, and late-breaking conference findings. New data on lingdolinurad showed dose-dependent reductions in serum uric acid without serious safety concerns, while firsekibart continued to distinguish itself as a superior option to colchicine for gout flare prophylaxis when initiating ULT. ACR Convergence 2025 also delivered major research highlights across 24 late-breaking studies, with the HCPLive Rheumatology team curating 13 of the most clinically relevant trials for practicing specialists.

Investigators spotlighted the growing importance of cardiometabolic health in PsA, with Philip Mease, MD, presenting compelling evidence that both GLP-1–based therapies and apremilast may meaningfully improve metabolic risk profiles. In lupus, Ed Vital, MD, discussed encouraging phase 3 results for dapirolizumab pegol, which improved response rates and enhanced sustained low disease activity and remission, underscoring its potential to expand the SLE treatment landscape.

Check out this November 2025 rheumatology month in review for a recap of HCPLive’s coverage of the top news and research from the past few weeks:

1. Lingdolinurad Demonstrates Dose-Dependent Serum Uric Acid Reductions

Lingdolinurad (ABP-671) demonstrated acceptable safety and produced clear, dose-dependent reductions in serum uric acid (sUA) in adults with hyperuricemia or gout, with no serious adverse events reported. Median sUA reductions increased steadily across dose levels, and at 24 hours post-dose, up to 100% of patients on 6–12 mg achieved sUA <6 mg/dL, compared with none on placebo.

2. Firsekibart Beats Colchicine as Gout Flare Prophylaxis When Initiating ULT

Firsekibart showed substantially better prophylaxis against acute gout flares than colchicine in patients initiating ULT, with markedly fewer flares and a favorable tolerability profile. In phase 2 and 3 data, firsekibart reduced new flares by up to 90% over 12 weeks and led to far fewer patients experiencing ≥1 flare compared with standard therapies.

3. ACR Convergence 2025 Recap: Late-Breaking Trials to Know

The ACR Convergence 2025, which took place in Chicago, Illinois, was held at the tail-end of October, and featured 2 late-breaking sessions presenting 24 studies across a range of rheumatologic conditions. The HCPLive Rheumatology editorial team curated 13 of these late-breaking trials, highlighting key findings clinicians should know from the meeting.

4. Targeting Cardiometabolic Burden in PsA, With Philip Mease, MD
Obesity and metabolic dysfunction are increasingly recognized as major drivers of worse PsA outcomes. Philip Mease, MD, discussed new ACR 2025 data showing that both GLP-1–based therapies and apremilast may deliver meaningful cardiometabolic improvements. In the FOREMOST trial Mease investigated, apremilast produced greater weight and BMI reductions than placebo, while additional analyses linked GLP-1 RA use to lower cardiovascular event risk in PsA.

5. Dapirolizumab Pegol Shows Promise in Lupus During Phase 3 Trial, With Ed Vital, MD

Dapirolizumab pegol, a CD40 ligand inhibitor evaluated in the phase 3 PHOENYCS GO trial, improved overall response rates and increased sustained LLDAS and DORIS remission compared with placebo in patients with moderate-to-severe SLE. Ed Vital, MD, emphasized that DZP’s distinct mechanism and its ability to stabilize disease activity, especially under broader, sequential flare definitions, showcase its potential as a meaningful addition to the lupus treatment landscape.