Karolinska Scandal May Undermine the Nobel Prize

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Nature reports that the Karolinska Institute and the affiliated Karolinska Hospital are being scrutinized for violations regarding stem cell research in patients without sufficient pre-clinical research, research ethics approval, or approval from regulatory authorities.

Is Biologic Safety Different in the Elderly?

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The factors that influence the safety of biologic therapy are numerous. Amongst them, increasing age is a potential risk factor, moreso if you also consider the polypharmacy, comorbidities and longer disease duration inherent in an elderly group of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

AMA Policy on Freebies and Meals Clarified

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A recent JAMA Internal Medicine report on pharmaceutical-sponsored meals disclosed that a $20 meal provided by a drug company could yields 2-5 times more prescriptions.  (Citation source http://buff.ly/2cd58i0)

EMRs Causing Physician Burnout

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Researchers suggest that the burden of EHRs could contribute to physician burnout. The findings of a time and motion study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

RheumNow Week in Review – 2 September 2016

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from this week in RheumNow:

Flares Portend Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis - Time for a New Strategy?

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Disease flares are common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), often causing patients to seek additional care, if not medication.

The frequency of flares varies amongst studies in different populations.  But the consequence of flares has only recently been studied.

Cost of Osteoporosis Care in the USA

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The 2010 NHANES study suggests that the overall prevalence of osteoporosis (OP) in the USA is ~10% or 10.2 million older adults (> 50 yrs) had osteoporosis.

NIH Discovers Otulipenia - New Infantile Autoinflammatory Disorder

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Researchers at the National Institutes of Health, led by Dr. Dan Kastner, have led the way in the discovery and understanding of numerous autoinflammatory diseases.

Another Biosimilar Approval - Etanercep-szzs by Novartis

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Yesterday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new biosimilar, Erelzi, (etanercept-szzs), for the same multipile indications as the originator Enbrel, including rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, Erelzi, will be generically labelled as etanercept-szzs.

HMGB1 as a Biomarker for Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis

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High mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB1) is a DNA-binding protein that functions as a structural co-factor. HMGB1 is actively secreted by macrophage/monocytes via inflammatory stimuli and is elaborated during apoptosis.

FDA Approves Updated Denosumab Warnings

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In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the warnings of all marked bisphosphonates to include the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and atypical femoral fractures (AFF). 

Zurampic Helps Allopurinol Non-Responders

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Lesinurad (Zurampic) was approved earlier this year as adjunctive therapy to other urate-lowering therapies. It is a selective uric acid reabsorption inhibitor (URAT-1 inhibitor) designed to treat gout, and be used in combination with other xanthine oxidase inhibitors.

Nailfold Capillaroscopy Excludes Scleroderma in Raynaud’s

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Nailfold capillaroscopy test had impressive 90% negative predictive value for Systemic Sclerosis (SSc)

RheumNow Week in Review – 26 August 2016

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.

Prior Cancer Patients May Safely Receive TNF Inhibitors or Rituximab

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Current guidelines regarding the use of biologics in patients who have previously had a malignancy are based more on opinion than evidence.

Adalimumab Controls Non-Infectious Uveitis in VISUAL II Study

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It has long been observed that patients receiving monoclonal antibody based anti-TNF (TNFi) therapies for spondylitis or psoriatic disease have less inflammatory eye complications, such as uveitis. These agents have become common interventions based on these observational results.

Drug Use Compounds Risk - Before and After Fragility Fractures

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Is the occurrence of a fragility fracture a missed opportunity to reduce exposure to prescription drugs associated with fracture risk?

Risk of Sepsis or Death Lower with Biologics in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Researchers from Germany have analyzed their large prospective rheumatoid arthritis (RA) registry to address whether being on biologic therapies leads to poorer outcomes - namely sepsis or death, following a serious infection (SIE).

Knuckle Cracking Good News

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Researchers from the radiology department at University of California, Davis Health System have studied the phenomenon of knuckle cracking by simultaneously recording audio and ultrasound imaging from 17 women and 23 men.

RheumNow Week in Review – 19 August 2016

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Dr. Cush reviews the RheumNow.com highlights in rheumatology for the week ending 19 August 2016.