Razionale

This congress is devised to address the evolving landscape of rheumatology by focusing on several key strategic themes:

Complexity and Precision Medicine

The meeting emphasizes moving beyond traditional classification toward understanding disease complexity and heterogeneity. Multiple sessions focus on disease interception and prevention (PsA screening in psoriasis patients), subgroup identification in systemic sclerosis, mechanism-driven approaches in vasculitis, precision care in SLE and vasculitis

Personalized Treatment Strategies. Rather than one-size-fits-all approaches, the program explores how different factors should drive therapeutic decisions, such as synovitis-driven therapy in rheumatoid arthritis, serology-driven therapy considerations, comorbidity-driven therapy adaptations

Emerging Therapeutic Frontiers. The congress explores novel targeted therapies (particularly for Sjögren's and systemic sclerosis), artificial intelligence applications in myositis, new drugs for obesity management in rheumatic diseases

Critical Comorbidities. Dedicated attention to factors that complicate management, namely obesity and its impact on treatment, interstitial lung disease in RA, infections and prophylaxis in immunocompromised patients, post-COVID considerations

Pathogenetic Understanding. Emphasis on mechanisms linking related conditions (skin psoriasis to PsA) and evolving therapeutic targets (B cells in SLE).

Targeted Therapies Reshaping Clinical Practice

• Sjögren's Syndrome "Rethinking nomenclature in the era of targeted therapies" acknowledges that new treatments (likely anti-CD40, ianalumab, others) are changing how we conceptualize and classify the disease. Understanding which patients benefit from which targeted approaches
• Systemic Sclerosis. "Novel therapeutics and subgroup insights" reflects the emergence of multiple new treatment options (anti-fibrotics, immunomodulators, vascular therapies). Recognition that SSc is not one disease but multiple phenotypes requiring different interventions. Integration of organ-specific and systemic approaches
• "On the brink of a revolution" with JAK inhibitors and other targeted therapies. Artificial Intelligence integration: Representing the cutting edge where machine learning aids in diagnosis, classification, treatment prediction, and outcome assessment. Moving from broad immunosuppression to targeted pathway inhibition
• "B cells reloaded" suggests evolution beyond rituximab toward next-generation B-cell targeting (anifrolumab, obinutuzumab, telitacicept, others). Pursuit of "cure" rather than simply disease control. Understanding B-cell heterogeneity and different depletion/modulation strategies

Overall Vision: This congress represents rheumatology at an inflection point. The field is moving from a relatively simple paradigm (diagnose disease, suppress inflammation) to a sophisticated, multi-dimensional approach. The "next steps to the future" are not incremental improvements but fundamental transformations in how rheumatologists conceptualize disease, select treatments, and care for patients. This congress serves as both a roadmap and a call to action for the rheumatologic community to embrace this complexity and build the skills, knowledge, and collaborative networks necessary to deliver truly personalized, precision medicine to patients with rheumatic diseases.