In this episode of RhAPPcast, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, is joined by Christina Hanson, NP, to explore the growing intersection between rheumatology and gastroenterology, focusing on shared immune pathways and the evolving role of subcutaneous biologic therapies in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). The conversation highlights how advances in subcutaneous (subQ) biologics for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are improving patient convenience, adherence, and quality of life while offering comparable efficacy to traditional IV infusions.

This expert discussion dives into key clinical considerations such as induction versus maintenance strategies, patient selection, safety, and real-world implementation of SubQ therapies. The episode also emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration between rheumatology and GI providers, especially when managing patients with overlapping conditions like psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis. Listeners will gain practical insights on optimizing treatment decisions, enhancing patient education, and leveraging a shared “toolbox” of therapies to better manage complex, multi-system disease.

For more expert-driven education and cross-specialty insights, visit the RhAPP Content Rheum, GHAPP Digital Hub & both GHAPP & RhAPP ACE apps.

Thank you to Johnson & Johnson for the support of this FAQ Video Module.

In this FAQ video module, Tedra Gray, a gastroenterology nurse practitioner at Sinai Chicago, breaks down the key differences between treat-through and randomized withdrawal clinical trial designs in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This educational overview explains how these two study designs impact the evaluation of new IBD therapies, including their role in assessing safety, efficacy, and long-term patient outcomes. Viewers will learn how treat-through trials randomize patients at baseline to receive either active treatment or placebo throughout the study, offering insights into real-world effectiveness from induction through maintenance. In contrast, randomized withdrawal designs focus on patients who initially respond to therapy, re-randomizing them to continue treatment or switch to placebo—allowing for more efficient study design, reduced placebo exposure, and a focus on maintenance of response.

This video also explores key considerations such as population selection, ethical implications, study objectives, and how these designs are applied in major Phase 3 IBD trials like ASTRO, GRAVITI, GALAXY, and QUASAR. Ideal for gastroenterology providers and advanced practice providers, this content provides practical insights into interpreting clinical trial data and optimizing treatment strategies in IBD.

For more expert-driven GI education, visit the GHAPP Digital Hub and GHAPP ACE app.

In this medication review video module, Kimberly Orleck, PA-C, reviews the long-term efficacy and safety of guselkumab in the treatment of Crohn’s disease, highlighting results from the Phase 3 GALAXI-2, GALAXI-3, and GRAVITI clinical trials and their long-term extension (LTE) data through week 96. The discussion examines outcomes following intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SC) induction therapy followed by SC maintenance dosing, demonstrating sustained clinical remission, endoscopic response, endoscopic remission, and deep remission across study populations. The module also reviews steroid-free outcomes and emphasizes the durability of response observed over two years of treatment, with high rates of patients maintaining remission. Safety data across the LTE studies showed a stable safety profile with no new safety signals and low rates of serious adverse events and infections, consistent with the known safety profile of guselkumab. This expert overview provides clinicians and advanced practice providers with important insights into long-term treatment outcomes and real-world implications for managing moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease with IL-23 pathway inhibition.For more gastroenterology and hepatology educational content, visit the GHAPP Digital Hub and GHAPP ACE app.