The RheumNow Week in Review – 17 February 2017

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews this week's news and information from the 2017 RWCS meeting in Maui.

BEAM Study: Baricitinib Beats Placebo and Adalimumab in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Baricitinib is a novel inhibitor of Janus kinases JAK1 and JAK2 that has been extensively studied in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  Baricitinib (AKA Oluminant) was recently approved by the EMA for use in Europe at a once daily dose of 4 mg per day.

Top Ten Things Rheumatologists Should Know When Ordering Imaging

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As a musculoskeletal radiologist, I work every day with rheumatologists. I have been in practice for approximately 17 years and had a musculoskeletal radiology fellowship prior to establishing my practice.

Valeants Brodalumab FDA Approved for Psoriasis

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FDA has approvesd the IL-17 targeted therapy Siliq (brodalumab) for moderate-severe plaque psoriasis.

Baricitinib Approved in the EU for Use in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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The European Commission has approved Eli Lilly's rheumatoid arthritis drug Olumiant (baricitinib) for use in Europe for RA patients with moderate-to-severe active disease in adults who have not responded one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Crohn's Arthritis Linked to E. Coli Infection

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Articular manifestations of Crohn's disease affects a significant number of patients with either oligoarticular or RA-like polyarthritis or spondyloarthritis.

Immunosuppressives Fail to Benefit Early Skin Scleroderma

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Treatment of systemic sclerosis is difficult, as there have few proven therapies capable of altering the course of the disease. Ideally, early intervention affords the optimal scenario wherein drug intervention can be proven to work.

ACP Recommends a Drug-Free Approach to Back Pain

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The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends that physicians avoid prescribing drugs, especially narcotics, for patients with acute or subacute low back pain.

An Integrated Analysis of Tofacitinib Safety

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Since its US approval in 2012, tofacitinib has become a widely used treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Whether you're impressed with its efficacy, or distressed with its side effects, its track record is voluminous and has been recently reviewed.

The RheumNow Week in Review – 10 February 2017

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Dr. Jack Cush discusses the news and reports from this week on RheumNow:

Lupus in Kids: Damage Starts Early

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A new study sheds important light on the long-term outcomes of children diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Chronic Pain Associated with Poverty and Less Education

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Poorer and less-educated older Americans are more likely to suffer from chronic pain than those with greater wealth and more education, but the disparity between the two groups is much greater than previously thought, according to new research.

Cytoplasmic Autoantibodies in the Anti-Synthetase Syndrome

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Patients known to be autoantibody positive (e.g., anti- Jo1) for the anti-synthetase syndrome were assayed by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) for other reactivities, showing antinuclear staining (ANA) or cytoplasmic staining (Anti-Cyt Ab+).

Intra-articular Corticosteroids or Methotrexate for Oligoarticular JIA?

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Oligoarticular-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis accounts for nearly half of all JIA patients. While many of these children will require DMARD therapy, many others are treated with antiinflammatory meds or intra-articular corticosteroids. But the evidence for this latter approach is scant.

Novel Peripheral Helper T Cells in RA

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US and UK researchers have identified a unique subset of helper T-cells called ‘peripheral helper’ T-cells in the synoviums that may be linked to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.

NSAIDs Ineffective in Back Pain

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The George Institute for Global Health has performed a systematic review of drugs used to treat back pain. Their findings, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, shows that only one in six improve their pain with NSAID therapy.

No Increase in Infections with Pre-Op Infliximab Before Hip or Knee Replacement

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Up to 30% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) will eventually undergo joint reconstructive surgery, yet we have limited data to guide the perioperative management of DMARDs and biologics.

Modest Efficacy for Methotrexate in Psoriasis

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Doubt remains regarding the appropriateness, efficacy and safety of methotrexate in the treatment of moderate to severe cutaneous psoriasis. Moreover, high dose, subcutaneous MTX has not been studied in a well-designed trial.

The RheumNow Week in Review – 3 February 2017

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews this week's highlights from RheumNow.