SQUEEZE: Optimizing Existing Arthritis Treatments for Better Patient Outcomes

• SQUEEZE is an EU-funded initiative across 10 countries aiming to optimize existing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatments rather than developing new ones.
• Researchers are focusing on personalized precision medicine to help patients reach remission faster while minimizing trial-and-error treatment cycles.
• The project integrates biomarker discovery, optimized drug delivery, and a new digital care model to support patient adherence and communication.

Precision Medicine and Biomarkers

• Scientists are identifying biomarkers in joint tissue to predict therapy effectiveness for individual patients.
• The team is monitoring 'torque teno virus' levels in the blood as a real-time indicator of immune suppression, helping doctors balance treatment intensity with infection risk.
• Studies are evaluating whether stable patients can safely reduce biologic drug dosages and whether changing administration methods, such as moving from oral to injectable, enhances absorption and efficacy.

Digital Care and Patient Adherence

• The University of Basel is developing a digital model to monitor patients between clinic visits, identifying obstacles to treatment adherence.
• The system uses electronic questionnaires to categorize patients by risk levels and provides tailored support, such as injection assistance or scheduling adjustments.
• The model aims to improve the doctor-patient relationship, encouraging open discussions about treatment struggles which patients often hide to avoid being perceived as 'bad patients.'

Collaborative Goals

• The project relies on the co-creation of care models with patients, ensuring the tools are realistic for clinical practice.
• The ultimate objective is to provide clinicians with actionable data and training, ensuring that existing, effective therapies are utilized as safely and efficiently as possible.