All News
A Rocky Start for Biosimilar Inflectra?
This week, when the FDA approved the biosimilar drug Inflectra as an alternative to infliximab (Remicade), it was only the second biosimilar to be granted approval in the United States, and was the fi
Read Article
RheumNow Week in Review - 8 April 2016
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the rheumatology highlights from the news, media, and journals from this past week:
Read Article
Altering the Microbiome May Benefit Lupus Patients
Lopez and colleagues from Spain have studied the gut microbiome of l
Read Article
Tofacitinib Efficacy Revealed in OPAL Study
Pfizer has issued a press release of its preliminary results from the OPAL study that examined the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib 5 mg and 10 mg twice daily (BID) in adults active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Read Article
FDA Biosimilar Approval of Inflectra Viewed as a Milestone Advance
On February 9th, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Arthritis Advisory Committee voted 21-3 in favor of approving the infliximab biosimilar, CT-P13/Inflectra, for use in all of infliximab's indications.
Read Article
Baricitinib Benefits Refractory RA
The small molecule oral JAK inhibitor baricitinib was effective for patients with highly refractory rheumatoid arthritis, a phase III study found.
Read Article
First Head-to-Head TNF Trial Ends in a Draw
Comparative efficacy trials may be the best way to make informed treatment choices in a sea of treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent years have seen impressive head-to-head (H2H) clinical trials for RA, including AMPLE (abatacept vs.
Read Article
The Week in Review 18 March 2016
See the highlights from the past week that appeared on RheumNow.com, and watch Dr. Jack Cush as he reviews each of them.
Read Article
January/February 2016 Top Social Media News
In February 2016, RheumNow published 82 tweets about impactful news, research and teaching points that impact the rheumatology community. These feeds had a reach (impressions) of 80,800 with, 76 mentions, and over 2700 visits to learn on RheumNow.com.
Read Article
TNF Inhibitors Increase Perioperative Infection Risk
The use of tumour necrosis factor α inhibitors (TNFis) at the time of major surgery has been a challenge for surgeons, rheumatologists and those wishing to develop evidence-based guidelines for this clinical scenario.
Read Article
IL-6 Inhibition Makes News
Several new interleukin-6 inhibitors made headlines this week. While none of the new IL-6 inhibitors are soon to be approved and available, these studies may redefine the role of other non-TNF biologics in the future.
Read Article
Leflunomide and Weight Loss in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Weight change can have substantial effects on the outcomes of patients with arthritis. It has long been known that weight loss and low body mass index (BMI) are associated with poorer arthritis outcomes.
Read Article
ACR Invites Comment on Perioperative Management Guidelines
The ACR is inviting members and rheumatologists to comment on their proposal to develop recommendations for the "Perioperative Management of Rheumatic Disease Medications in Total Joint Arthroplasty of the Hip and Knee".
Read Article
Biosimilars Reviewed by Expert Panel
As the number of biosimilars in development keeps on growing, reaching nearly 700 products to date, demand for data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and an understanding of these new biologics is peaking the interest of many.
Read Article
Tocilizumab Induces and Maintains Remission in Giant Cell Arteritis
Lancet has reported the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of tocilizumab in patients with new-onset giant cell arteritis (GCA).
Read Article
Ixekizumab Superior to Etanercept in Psoriasis
The UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 trials were presented at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting taking this week in Washington, D.C.
Read Article
TNF Inhibition and Heart Failure
Clinicians often face the issue of using a TNF inhibitor (TNFi) in patients with heart failure or cardiac disease. Here are the facts and data necessary to make a cogent decision to use or avoid TNFi.
Read Article
Less Treatment, Responses and Safety in Elder-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis
A recent review compared elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) to those with younger-onset rheumatoid arthritis (YORA) to assess treatment responses and safety issues with biologics and DMARDS. EORA is generally defined as the onset of rheumatoid arthritis after age 60 years.
Read Article
Curbside Consults - February 2016
The following is a collection of cases presented to me by rheumatology colleagues. Each has a challenging therapeutic or safety issue. Answers are based on experience with references from literature and guidelines.
Read Article