All News
Global Rheumatology Alliance Registry Will Study COVID-19
In the midst of a global pandemic of the 2019 Novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (COVID-19), a small handful of Rheumatologists gathered on social media to collectively grapple with the impact of this virus on vulnerable populations with rheumatic disease.
COVID-19 Rheumatology News
With the COVID-19 pandemic dynamically changing, we have provided several news items germane to the Rheumatologist.
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A Rheumatologist’s Tips: Telemedicine in 6 Easy Steps
Ready for telemedicine/telerheumatology?
Once you and your patient agree on a virtual visit, the following suggestions may help facilitate the interaction. If you have the ability and the capacity, record the visit.
The COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Registry
As the highly virulent SARS-CoV-2 spreads over the world, uncertainty and fear for our patients with rheumatic diseases mount.
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Rheumatic Disease Drugs and COVID-19
We are in the early stages of trying to limit the morbid and mortal consequences of the corona virus pandemic of 2020. Not surprisingly, the recommendations designed to limit exposure and damage continually highlight the fact that the elderly and immunosuppressed may be amongst the most severely affected should they become infected with this virus.
This has led to a great deal of uncertainty by patients and providers about how rheumatic diseases and their treatments need to be specifically addressed.
EMA Final Recommendations on VTE Risk with Tofacitinib
On 14 November 2019 the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded that Xeljanz (tofacitinib) could increase the risk of blood clots in the lungs and in deep veins in patients who are already at high risk. These recommendations have been formally published and are intended for EU nation
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Need for Disruptive Innovation in Rheumatology
A full-read, novel Viewpoint article published in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease (Huizinga TWJ, et al) spotlights a recent international meeting of big thinkers, scientific collaborators and industry dedicated to innovation in rheumatology.
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Venom Peptide-Steroid Conjugate Effective in Collagen Induced Arthritis
Science Translational Medicine features a report from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center showing that a scopion venom peptide, coupled to steroid, can significantly reduce joint inflammation in a rat model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
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Updates on Psoriatic Arthritis at ACR 2018
I think 2018 was the year that belonged to psoriatic arthritis (although some may argue in favor of immune conditions induced by Checkpoint inhibitors). Many years ago the late Professor Verna Wright in Leeds (UK) was a lone voice for many years describing the clinical subtypes of Psoriatic arthritis as something distinctive from rheumatoid arthritis. For a long time we thought that the treatments for PsA were just the same as RA since we were treating the same problem of synovitis.
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Why You Should Come to RheumNow Live March 13th
RheumNow Live kicks off its second annual meeting - a little, big meeting in Fort Worth - in just 2 weeks and I think you should be there.
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ACR Releases Reproductive Health Guidelines for Rheumatic Diseases
Today, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published the 2020 Guideline for the Management of Reproductive Health in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases.
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Methotrexate and the Risk of Lung Disease
Rheumatology has a comprehensive overview of methotrexate (MTX) and the risk of lung injury, MTX-related pneumonitis and interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Past reports suggest the frequence of MTX-pneumonitis to be between 0.3 and 11.6%; r
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No Cancer Increase in Psoriatic Arthritis or with Biologics in Psoriasis
JAMA Dermatology reports that psoriasis is associated with a slightly increased risk of cancer, particularly keratinocyte cancer and lymphomas.
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Adverse Effects of Low-Dose Methotrexate from the CIRT Trial
Low-dose methotrexate (LD-MTX) was studied in high risk cardiac patients in the cardiac intervention trial (CIRT), but was prematurely ended for not showing a change in cardiovascular event rates. Nonetheless this trial studied the safety and adverse event rates of LD-MTX and those results are reported in the current issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
Bimekizumab Effective in Active Psoriatic Arthritis
Interleukin 17 IIL-17) is important in the pathogenesis of psoriatic disease, with most current approaches targeting IL-17A. Now there is a noveal approach showing that dual neutralisation of IL-17A and IL-17F in psoriatic arthritis arthritis patients results in clinically significant improvement.
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Upadacitinib Effective in Phase 3 Psoriatic Arthritis Study
Abbvie has announced top line results of their SELECT-PSA trial of upadacitinib (UPA), wherein both the 15 and 30 mg doses met the primary endpoint of ACR20 response at week 12 and demonstrated radiographic inhibition at week 24.
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Which Biologics are Best in Psoriasis
A metanalysis of phase II, III and IV trials in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis suggests comparative efficacy biologic treatments, but that that brodalumab, guselkumab, ixekizumab, and risankizumab-rzaa were shown to have the past skin (PASI) response rates.
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NSAIDs May Impair Healing if Taken Nightly
A new study in Scientific Reports suggest that circadian rhythms play an important role in wound healing, and that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be disruptive if taken at night given primary healing that occurs in a body at night.
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RheumNow Podcast- A Good First Impression (1.24.20)
Dr Jack Cush comments on this week's journal articles, reviews and studies.
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Biosimilars for Rheum Disease: Failure to Launch
The availability of biologic biosimilars has thus far had negligible impact on prescribing practices in the United States, in stark contrast to what has been observed in some European countries, researchers reported.
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