Best of 2021: Israel provides COVID vaccine answers for rheumatic disease patients

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The question as to how autoimmune rheumatic disease patients fare with the COVID vaccine is one being asked in rheumatologists’ offices everywhere this year, and at the EULAR 2021 Virtual Congress, data presented from Israel, one of the first countries to vaccinate on a br

Best of 2021: FDA Approves Anifrolumab in SLE

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AstraZeneca announced today that anifrolumab (Saphnelo or anifrolumab-fnia) was approved by the the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for that treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are receiving standard therapy.  

Best of 2021: Potential Birth Defects with Hydroxychloroquine

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HCQ is one of the safest meds used in rheumatology, but new claims data suggests a small increase in the risk of malformations associated with first-trimester HCQ use. The March 2021 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology studied the risk of major congenital malformations during the first trimester of pregnancy in women with rheumatic disease taking HCQ.

Best of 2021: Actemra FDA Approved for Systemic Sclerosis Interstitial Lung Disease

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Genentech announced March 4th that the US Food and Drug Administration approved tocilizumab (Actemra) for the treatment of Systemic Sclerosis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease (SSc-ILD), specifically indicated for slowing the rate of decline in pulmonary function in adults S

Indications Awaiting (12.17.21)

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There's good news and bad news in rheumatology fellowship matching for 2022.  There's also new FDA approvals and indications, but a new serious safety warning has arisen from the CDC about the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. 

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the latest news, journal reports, regulatory approvals, plus 3 new cases from rheumatologists.

Certain Cancers Increased with Autoimmune Diseases

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Rheumatologists are well aware that inflammation and immune dysregulation are prime contributors to cancer risk, but do oncologists carry the same impressions? A large study from JAMA Oncology shows that patients with immune-mediated diseases (IMD) have an overall increased risk of cancer, especially in organ-specific immune-mediated diseases. 

T2T Debate - A Prologue with Dr. Marty Bergman

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Drs. Jack Cush and Martin Bergman review the topic of treat-to-target (T2T) management in rheumatology.

Both will debate the pro's and con's of the T2T strategy at the upcoming RWCS meeting on Feb. 17, 2022.