Kevzara (Sarilumab) Approved in Canada for RA

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Kevzara (sarilumab), an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor monoclonal antibody, was approved by Health Canada for use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Limited Efficacy of NSAIDs in Spondyloarthritis

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Prior to the biologic era, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the mainstay of drug therapy in thos with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).  Their role in the modern era has changed and the claims for efficacy have varied. 

Is the Jury Still Out on Triple Therapy vs. MTX + TNF inhibitor?

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There are several trials that test the efficacy and safety of combination tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) plus methotrexate against triple therapy (methotrexate plus hydroxychloroquine plus sulfasalazine) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

DSB - Safety Update and Drug Shortages January 2017

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RheumNow will periodically report safety issues as Drug Safety Bulletins. These will update you with safety issues, label changes and reports of new, ongoing and resolved drug shortages that affect rheumatology. If you have suggestions or information about specific drug shortages or drug safety issues, please email us at info@rheumnow.com.

Ties to Pharma Influences Clinical Trial Results

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A study published in The BMJ shows that financial ties between researchers and companies that make the drugs they are studying are independently associated with positive trial results; thereby questioning the bias in these objective trials.

FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Biosimilar Interchangeability

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Interchangeability, or the substitution of a biosimilar for its innovator biologic, is on the horizon. Will the prescriber chose the biosimilar in place of the originator? Or will this allow pharmacists or healthcare plans to substitute a biosimilar, without intervention from a healthcare provider?

The RheumNow Week in Review – 20 January 2017

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from the past week on RheumNow.

Who Is At Risk to Lose Insurance if the ACA is Changed or Repealed?

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If Congress changes or repeals the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which adults are at risk of losing health insurance?

EULAR Revised Recommendations for Fibromyalgia

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The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations for fibromyalgia (FM) management were published in 2007 and largely had recommendations based on expert opinion’. These guidelines were updated in May of 2015 after a systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the data.

Consensus Guidelines for Juvenile Dermatomyositis Management

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SHARE (Single Hub and Access point for pediatric Rheumatology in Europe) was established in 2012 to optimise the diagnosis and treatment of several pediatric diseases. They have recently published their recommendations regarding the diagnosis and management of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).

Rituximab Effects on ANCA, IgG and Infectious Risk in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

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Rituximab has significantly changed the management of patiehts with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Yet the longitudinal assessment of such patients needs to be guideded by clinical and laboratory parameters.

PPIs Reduce Post-Hip Fracture Mortality

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The association between the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), osteoporosis (OP) and OP-related fragility fractures has been a topic of ongoing discussion in rheumatology community.

The RheumNow Week in Review – 13 January 2017

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from this past week on RheumNow.com:

Psoriatic Arthritis Patients have More Heart Disease

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A study of 90 consecutive male (50.3±11.1 years) with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) were were compared to 240 age matched controls without known cardiovascular (CV) diseases who underwent angiography for chest pain and/or multiple CV risk factors.

Statins Don't Increase Risk of Colchicine Myopathy

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Neuromyopathy is a rare side effect of chronic colchicine use. Statins are more commonly implicated as a cause of drug-induced myopathy.  

Given the frequent occurrence of the metabolic syndrome, simultaneous use of both colchicine and statins is common.

Weight Loss Improves Psoriasis

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Jennsen et al previously reported their findings regarding weight reductions ability to improve cutaneous psoriasis at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) meeting in 2015, Now their results are published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The RheumNow Week in Review – 6 January 2017

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from the first week of 2017 on RheumNow.com.

Happy New Year!

Pregnancy Outcomes in Psoriatic Arthritis

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Disease Activity Pre-pregnancy During Pregnancy Post-pregnancy
Mild 10 6 4
Moderate 2 6 8
Severe 2 2 2

DMARDs Under Study for Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events

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Several important lines of population and large cohort research have shown that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have a substantially higher risk for myocardial infarction and major cardiovascular events.

PPI Safety Issues

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There are more than 11 million proton pump inhibitor (PPI) prescriptions written each year in the United States. While these agents have dramatically changed the management and outcome of upper gastrointestinal (GI) erosive and inflammatory disorders, their use has not been without safety concerns.