#2-89E. Beyond Standard Care: The Future of Systemic Sclerosis Management (Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol, 2025)

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) remains a therapeutic challenge with high mortality, yet are we on the verge of a paradigm shift? This episode explores a comprehensive review detailing the evolving landscape of SSc management, moving beyond standard immunosuppression to targeted novel therapies for skin fibrosis, interstitial lung disease (ILD), and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The paper’s core insight highlights the potential of transformative agents, such as the PDE4B inhibitor nerandomilast for ILD and activin signaling modulators like sotatercept for PAH, alongside the emerging promise of CAR-T cell therapy for deep immune resetting in refractory cases. However, physicians must critically note that while these modalities offer hope, many—particularly cellular therapies—rely on early-phase, uncontrolled data or small sample sizes, necessitating caution regarding long-term safety and cost-effectiveness. For the clinician, this review is crucial as it not only summarizes the latest trial data but also proposes updated treatment algorithms, suggesting earlier aggressive combination strategies and identifying when to refer patients for clinical trials of these breakthrough interventions.

Citation: POPE, J. Novel therapies in SSc. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology. Vol. 39, 102104, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.berh.2025.102104

Disclaimer: This audio summary is based on personal interpretation and does not guarantee the exact content of the original paper. Please refer to the original article for details.