ACR Convergence 2026: Key Data on Taltz, Ianalumab & More

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ACR Convergence 2026: Latest News and Key Clinical Data

Eli Lilly Reports Sustained 52-Week Benefits for Dual Taltz and Zepbound Regimen in Psoriatic Arthritis with Obesity

Combining ixekizumab (Taltz) with tirzepatide (Zepbound) yields substantial, lasting clinical benefits for adults living with both active psoriatic arthritis and excess body weight, according to one-year data from Eli Lilly's Phase 3b TOGETHER-PsA study.

The extended 52-week results demonstrated that adding the dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist to standard IL-17A inhibition delivered superior joint clearance, metabolic improvement, and quality-of-life enhancements compared to biologic monotherapy alone.

Key Clinical Findings at One Year

• Dual Primary Measure (ACR50 plus ≥10% Weight Loss): At 52 weeks, 39.2 percent of participants on the combination hit both targets, compared to just 1.7 percent on ixekizumab alone (up from 31.7 percent versus 0.8 percent at Week 36).

• Joint Symptom Control (ACR50): The dual-drug cohort achieved an ACR50 response rate of 43.7 percent at Week 52, nearly triple the 15.7 percent seen with monotherapy. Significantly higher response rates emerged by Week 4, before substantial weight loss had occurred.

• Significant Weight Reduction (≥10%): A total of 85.7 percent of dual-therapy patients reached at least a 10 percent weight reduction by Week 52, compared to 6.7 percent in the control group.

• Patient-Reported Outcomes: Sustained gains in daily physical function and noticeable fatigue reductions extended from the 36-week mark through the full 52-week monitoring window.

Trial Overview: TOGETHER-PsA

The multicenter, assessor-blinded, open-label Phase 3b trial (NCT06588296) enrolled 271 adults diagnosed with active psoriatic arthritis who were either obese (BMI of 30 or greater) or overweight (BMI between 27 and 30) with a concurrent weight-associated condition. Participants were randomized equally to receive either subcutaneous ixekizumab alone or ixekizumab combined with subcutaneous tirzepatide, with lifestyle coaching provided to both arms.

Therapeutic Profiles

• Taltz (ixekizumab): A targeted monoclonal antibody engineered to bind and suppress interleukin 17A (IL-17A), halting the inflammatory cascade that drives psoriatic arthritis, plaque psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

• Zepbound (tirzepatide): A first-in-class dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist designed to curb appetite and regulate metabolic pathways, approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight comorbidities, as well as moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Novartis Showcases Positive Two-Year Clinical Outcomes for Ianalumab in Sjögren's Disease

Novartis showcased encouraging long-term Phase 3 extension findings evaluating ianalumab in patients diagnosed with Sjögren's disease during the ACR Convergence congress. Extended 108-week results from the NEPTUNUS program indicate progressive reductions in whole-body inflammatory burden alongside preserved exocrine function, with no unexpected safety issues emerging over the extended follow-up period.

Progressive Reductions in Systemic Activity

Interim findings from the open-label extension demonstrated that extended monthly administration of 300 mg ianalumab produced cumulative improvements in systemic manifestations between Week 48 and Week 108, as captured by the EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI).

Key clinical outcomes from the two-year readout include:

• Deepening ESSDAI Declines: Participants who remained on uninterrupted monthly dosing achieved an average drop of 7.5 points on the ESSDAI scale from initial baseline. Those who crossed over from the control arm to active treatment at Week 60 demonstrated a mean decline of 6.5 points.

• Expanding Low Disease Activity: In the continuous monthly cohort, the rate of individuals achieving low disease activity status expanded from 57.1 percent at Week 48 to 65.1 percent by Week 108. For participants crossing over from placebo at Week 60, low disease activity climbed from 50.4 percent to 60.9 percent.

• Glandular Preservation: Individuals presenting with preserved glandular capacity at enrollment (stimulated salivary output exceeding 0.4 mL/min) maintained stable secretory volume through Week 96, with comparable functional recovery noted in crossover participants.

• Patient-Reported Relief: Measurable gains across daily physical symptoms, fatigue, and pain (tracked via ESSPRI and SSSD metrics) remained durable through Week 108 in continuously managed patients and manifested quickly following therapeutic initiation in crossover subjects.

Tackling High Unmet Need in B-Cell Mediated Pathology

Sjögren's disease remains an incapacitating, chronic systemic disorder characterized by B-cell dysregulation, culminating in glandular destruction, profound exhaustion, persistent musculoskeletal pain, and progressive internal organ damage. The therapeutic landscape remains severely underserved globally, with no biologic interventions cleared for commercial access outside mainland China.

Ianalumab and the NEPTUNUS Clinical Architecture

Mechanism of Action: Ianalumab is an engineered, fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody utilizing a distinct two-pronged approach. It directly eliminates circulating B lymphocytes while simultaneously suppressing BAFF receptor signaling pathways to curtail aberrant B-cell activation and survival. Novartis is also advancing the candidate across systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis, immune thrombocytopenia, and systemic sclerosis.

Dapirolizumab Pegol Shows Sustained Remission and Multi-Organ Clinical Benefits in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus at ACR 2026

Fresh clinical analyses from the Phase 3 PHOENYCS GO trial presented at the ACR Convergence congress highlight the therapeutic potential of dapirolizumab pegol, an investigational biologic being codeveloped by UCB and Biogen for individuals living with systemic lupus erythematosus.

The evaluations applied the novel Treatment Response Measure for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, a clinical assessment developed with global health authority guidance to measure individual affected organ domains across arthritis, mucocutaneous involvement, renal pathology, serositis, hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia.

Key findings from the clinical presentations include:

• Broad Multi-Organ Response: When added to background standard therapy through Week 48, dapirolizumab pegol enabled 61.2 percent of participants to achieve clinically meaningful improvement across at least half of their active organ systems, compared to 43.2 percent on placebo. Total improvement across all affected organ systems reached 52.5 percent in the active cohort versus 36.8 percent in the control arm.

• Sustained Low Disease Activity: Evaluation across the closing visits (Weeks 40, 44, and 48) demonstrated that 24.0 percent of patients on active treatment maintained lupus low disease activity status, compared to 10.3 percent on placebo.

• Corticosteroid Reduction: Under a strict daily glucocorticoid ceiling of 5 mg prednisone equivalent or lower, 19.2 percent of treated patients sustained low disease activity, versus 5.6 percent in the control arm.

• Prolonged Clinical Remission: Rigorous DORIS remission criteria were sustained across all three final evaluations in 11.5 percent of treated individuals, compared to 4.7 percent on standard management alone.

These evaluations build upon primary 48-week trial data published in The Lancet, where the drug met its main BICLA response objective (50 percent versus 35 percent). As a polyethylene glycol-conjugated, Fc-free antibody fragment inhibiting CD40L signaling, dapirolizumab pegol disrupts inflammatory pathways linking T cells, antigen-presenting cells, and autoantibody-producing B lymphocytes.

Bimzelx Demonstrates Sustained Joint Superiority Over Risankizumab at 24 Weeks

Updated outcomes from the head-to-head Phase 3 BE BOLD trial compared bimekizumab-bkzx, an antibody targeting both interleukin 17A and interleukin 17F, directly against the interleukin 23 antagonist risankizumab in adults living with active psoriatic arthritis.

Key comparative findings include:

• Sustained Musculoskeletal Advantage:

  Following its statistically significant Week 16 win on ACR50 joint criteria (49.1 percent versus 38.0 percent), bimekizumab sustained its numerical edge through Week 24, delivering a 54.9 percent response rate versus 43.8 percent for risankizumab. The IL-17A/F inhibitor produced higher joint clearance percentages at each protocol visit starting as early as Week 4.

• Secondary Clinical Endpoints:

  Minimal disease activity and overall systemic symptom controls favored bimekizumab at Week 16 and preserved higher numerical clearance through Week 24.

• Rapid Dermal Clearance:

  In exploratory skin measurements, 12.5 percent of bimekizumab-treated patients reached total skin clearance (PASI100) at Week 4 compared to 3.4 percent on risankizumab. By Week 16, rates stood at 53.4 percent versus 46.6 percent, with both therapeutic arms converging to similar complete clearance levels by Week 24 (59.7 percent versus 59.1 percent).