Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Guideline from the British Society for Rheumatology

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The British Society of Rheumatology (BSR) has been accredited by NICE to develop a guidance document for the management of primary Sjögren's Syndrome intended for rheumatologists, general physicians, general practitioners, specialist nurses and other specialists (e.g.

Amgen-Abbvie Settle Humira Biosimilar Patent Dispute

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Amgen's biosimilar version of adalimumab (Humira) was FDA-approved in September 2016 and given the trade name Amjevita (generic: adalimumab-atto). This new TNF inhibitor biosimilar has not yet been to market because of legal wranglings over patent issues by Abbvie's Humira.

29 September 2017 The RheumNow Week in Review

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The RheumNow Week in Review discusses the past week's news, journal articles and highlights from RheumNow.com. This week's report discusses regulatory actions by NICE and FDA, higher death rates in RA and psoriasis, increased risk of RA with Asthma, rising numbers for OA, RA, and STDs.

Psoriasis Increases Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events

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A report in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology shows that psoriasis duration and inflammation may result in cardiovascular inflammation and an increased risk of major adverse CV events.

Safety of Long-Term PPI Use

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The current issue of JAMA reviews the safety of long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI). The following is a collection of the evidence about these purported risks.

Fractures

Increased Deaths in RA, Despite Decreasing Mortality Rates

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Data from the Swedish Rheumatology Quality (SRQ) Register studied death rates in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) between 1997 and 2014.  Holmqvist and colleagues studied 17,512 RA and 78,847 matched controls from the general population, until their death.

UAB Researchers Shed Light on Age-Related Osteoporosis

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Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have detailed mechanisms leading to age-related bone loss and osteoporosis.

No Cancer Risk With Biologic Use

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A polulation-based study from Sweden has shown that treatment with tocilizumab, abatacept, rituximab, or tumor necrosis factor (TNFi) inhibitors does not affect the risk of malignant neoplasms among patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Specifically, use of a first or second TNFi or biologic DMARDs (bDMARD) does confer a different cancer risk when compared to conventional DMARDS in biologic–naive RA patients.

FDA Panel Backs New Zoster Subunit Vaccine

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GlaxoSmithKline has announced that the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted unanimously in support of the efficacy, safety and approval of its herpes zoster subunit (HZ/su) vaccine (called Shingrix) for the prevention of herpes zoster (shingles) in adults ages 50 and over.

Sirukumab Turned Down by FDA

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On Friday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that will not approve Johnson & Johnson’s rheumatoid arthritis drug sirukumab, stating further data and study would be needed to establish its safety. 

Isolated SS-B Not Associated with Connective Tissue Disease

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A one-year prospective study of 624 patients undergoing autoantibody testing for anti-SS-A and/or anti-SS-B autoantibodies finds that isolated anti-SS-B autoantibodies was not associated with features or the diagnosis of any specific connective tissue diseases (CTD).

22 September 2017 The RheumNow Week in Review

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The RheumNow Week in Review discusses the past week's news, journal articles and highlights from RheumNow.com. This week's report discusses survey results on membranous nephritis and patient perceptions of steroids, nonadherence, celebrity arthritis and IgG4 treatment.

Osteoporotic Fractures as Back Pain in Older Men

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The Journal of Bone and Mineral Research reports that older men with undiagnosed vertebral fractures are likely to report new or worsening back pain. (Citation source bit.ly/2y9rMiZ)

Rituximab Efficacy in IgG4 Related Disease

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PLOS reports  greater than 90% efficacy when rituximab (RTX) is used to treat patients with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). 

Romosuzumab Followed by Alendronate is Best in Fracture Prevention

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The NEJM reports that in high risk post-menopausal women, romosozumab for 12 months followed by alendronate resulted in a significantly lower fracture than alendronate alone. 

Half of Takayasu's Arteritis Relapse

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A French retrospective study of 318 Takayasu's arteritis (TA) patients shows that 50% of patients will relapse and experience a vascular complication ≤10 years from diagnosis. 

CDC: 40% of U.S Adults Claim to Have Arthritis

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The CDC has reported its 2013 and 2014 prevalence statistics for arthritis and other chronic medical conditions affecting U.S. adults aged ≥18 years. Data is drawn from the ongoing Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a state-based, telephone survey of noninstitutionalized adults. Data herein is self-reported arthritis (OA, RA, Gout, FM) and is quantified by state and metropolitan areas.

Mortality with Interstitial Lung Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Annals of Rheumatic Disease has published a Danish population based study demonstrating the high mortality rates seen with interstitial lung disease (ILD).

15 September 2017 The RheumNow Week in Review

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The RheumNow Week in Review discusses the past week's news, journal articles and highlights from RheumNow.com. This week's report discusses metabolic syndrome in lupus, bisphosphonate holidays, vasculitis and vascular inflammation, vaccination, and the repeated wonders of Vitamin D.

Sarcoid and Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk Increased by Silica Exposure

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A Swedish study has shown that occupational silica exposure increases the incidence rates of sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in those exposed workers in Swedish iron foundries.