Establishing a consensus definition of VEXAS flare for clinical research

Objective VEXAS syndrome is a severe systemic haemato-inflammatory disease with heterogeneous clinical presentations. Most patients experience recurrent inflammatory flares despite anti-inflammatory therapy. The lack of accepted definitions of flare in these patients is preventing development of disease activity tools that are essential for conducting clinical trials. We aimed to develop a consensus definition of a VEXAS flare for use in clinical trials. Methods A 9-member international expert advisory committee established a consensus definition of VEXAS flare using modified Delphi methodology. Clinical inflammatory manifestations of VEXAS syndrome were identified through a systematic literature review. Committee members developed a conceptual framework for flare definition, proposed revisions, and voted on changes until consensus (≥75% concurrence) was reached. Results Consensus defined VEXAS flare as active inflammatory manifestation(s) of VEXAS syndrome requiring escalation in glucocorticoid therapy. Three flare categories were established: A) recurrence of a prior documented VEXAS manifestation; B) development of a new VEXAS-defining inflammatory manifestation; or C) emergence of a new inflammatory manifestation not meeting criteria for A or B. The panel endorsed an independent adjudication committee to assess Category C flares in clinical trials. Conclusions This study proposes a standardized definition of VEXAS flare, providing uniform criteria for identifying VEXAS disease activity. Future research will evaluate its performance in clinical trials.