The many pathways to progress: Looking ahead to ACR 2026

In immunology, we are no strangers to thinking about pathways at a biological level. Understanding the mechanisms that drive disease has transformed what science can make possible for those living with immune-mediated conditions. But we also know that science is only a part of making true impact. 

There are many paths to progress, from generating evidence that challenges expectations and finding new ways to understand and measure impact, to reimagining how patients access and experience care. 

As the team prepares for the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2026 congress, I connected with three colleagues to hear what the path to progress looks like from their perspective, and how the work being shared at the congress could help move the field forward. 

Donatello Crocetta, Chief Medical Officer and Global Head of Medical 
Affairs

“For me, the path to progress means continually evolving how we 
generate and use evidence as the science and needs of patients 
evolve.” 

Scientific innovation continues to create new possibilities in rheumatology, but as the science evolves, so too must the way we generate, connect and learn from evidence. Progress means looking beyond individual data points and considering clinical research alongside real-world evidence and the human insights that data alone may not capture. 

That’s why I’m particularly proud of the breadth of science we’re bringing to ACR: 18 accepted abstracts spanning psoriatic arthritis (PsA), axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). From comparing different treatment approaches directly to asking what more ambitious disease outcomes might look like, each contributes to an ongoing evidence journey and helps build a more complete picture of where care could go next. 

Bernard Lauwerys, Global Medical Head of Asset Medical Communities 

“I believe the path starts with defining what progress really 
means, collectively.”

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an incredibly complex disease, and that complexity creates a fundamental challenge: how do we recognize when a treatment is making a meaningful difference? Difficulties in measuring clinically meaningful responses have long been a challenge in SLE clinical trials, so advancing the field means continuing to evolve not only the science, but how we measure. So I believe the path forward starts with defining what progress really means, collectively. 

That’s why I’m particularly excited about the first application of the Treatment Response Measure for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (TRM-SLE) at ACR. TRM-SLE was developed through a global task force bringing together clinicians, patient representatives, industry partners and regulatory experts, demonstrating how collaboration can help us look at familiar scientific challenges in new ways. 

TRM-SLE is designed to complement existing measures, and further validation is needed, but if we can continue improving how we define and recognize meaningful treatment response, we can deepen our understanding of SLE and help advance how progress itself is measured in clinical research. We look forward to sharing the results of this collaboration at ACR. 

Julie Horan, Senior Real-World Evidence (RWE) Expert, Digita

“No two pathways are the same for those living with axSpA, so 
progress to me means designing innovations that can adapt with 
them.” 

In rheumatology, scientific advances are only part of the journey. We also need to think about how people access and experience care in the real world, and whether traditional models of routine follow-up always reflect when patients actually need specialist support. No two pathways are the same for those living with axSpA, so progress to me means designing innovations that can adapt with them. 

That’s why I’m particularly proud of our FASTRAX initiative. Working alongside healthcare professionals and partners, we’re exploring how patient-initiated follow-up can offer a different approach to routine care for people living with axSpA. The digital platform gives clinically stable patients greater flexibility to monitor their symptoms at home and seek support when they need it rather than relying on scheduled appointments. In turn, the platform aims to improve clinical capacity and service efficiency. At ACR 2026, interim findings from an ongoing real-world service evaluation will add to our understanding of FASTRAX to date, exploring patient outcomes and experiences across standard care and different models of patient-initiated follow-up. 

Our Digital Care Transformation work starts with the unmet need and asks how we can redesign care 
around the realities of patients’ lives. That means strengthening and optimizing pathways and helping 
people access specialist expertise when they need it. In my view, digital innovation has value because 
science of course opens new possibilities, but how people move through care can determine whether 
those possibilities translate into real-world access and impact.