Power Doppler Ultrasound Detects Early Synovitis Change in APPRAISE Study

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While new recommendations suggest early aggressive management of rheumatoid arthritis, our ability to assess treatment response is limited to clinical and laboratory assessment.

EU Endorses Biosimilar Etanercept (SB4) from Samsung/Biogen

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Reuters today reported that a copy of the blockbuster biotech drug Enbrel (SB4) was recommended for approval in Europe on Friday, making it the second so-called biosimilar antibody medicine to win such a green light from the continent's regulators.

SB4 - A Second Biosimilar Up For Review in Europe

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A biosimilar of etanercept (Enbrel) made by the South Korean company Samsung Bioepis is under consideration by regulators in the European Union. Samsung Bioepis, a joint venture between Samsung Biologics and Biogen, is taking aim with its version of etanercept.

Tocilizumab & Abatacept Effective in Giant Cell Arteritis

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Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a medium and large vasculitis, wherein only glucocorticoids (GC) treatment has been the mainstay of therapy. As many will require prolonged treatment, the hazards of GC are well known, lead to substantial toxicity and morbidity.

Surviving Infection on DMARDs or Biologics

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Sepsis is a dangerous and potentially fatal consequence of serious infections (SIE), particularly in susceptible populations such as the elderly and immunosuppressed. Published evidence points toward the potential role of TNF in development of sepsis.

Are Guidelines Worth the Cost?

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A thoughtful perspective on the purpose, focus and cost of guideline efforts in rheumatology has been published in the journal Rheumatology.

Pharmacy Benefit Managers at Odds with Specialty Pharmacies

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Reuters and the Wall Street Journal have reported that the largest U.S. pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) of private prescription drug benefits have cut off at least eight pharmacies that work closely with drugmakers, intensifying scrutiny of a system that helps inflate drug prices.

Biology of Bone Remodeling in Psoriatic Disease

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Paine and Ritchlin have reviewed the evidence that new bone formation is centered around enthesial sites and that such findings are evident in psoriatic arthritis as well as psoriasis patients without arthritis.

Is Baricitinib Really Better Than Adalimumab in RA: Trial Results Reviewed

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Dr. Peter Taylor and colleagues presented their results of the 52-week BEAM trial wherein baricitinib (a JAK 1, 2 inhibitor) was compared to adalimumab in both clinical and radiographic outcomes. This was the most viewed abstract online at the ACR website.

Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis Reviewed

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Cacoub et al review the common entity cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CryoVas) in the current issue of the American Journal of Medicine.

This small-vessel vasculitis involves the skin, joints, and potentially other organs, including the peripheral nervous system or the kidneys.

Anifrolumab Improves Lupus Outcomes

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Furie and coworkers presented the results of a 52-week phase II trial of anifrolumab (ANIFR), a type I interfernon (IFN) receptor antagonist in patients with lupus (SLE).

Improving Cardiovascular Trends in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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 Myasoedova and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic have reported their new data that demonstrates improving cardiovascular (CV) mortality rates in current RA patients treated with modern drugs.

2015 ACR RA Guidelines Released– Finally!

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ACR 2015 RA treatment guidelines were published yesterday, nearly a year after they were preliminarily presented at the 2014 ACR meeting in Boston. After a year of review and revision these have been posted.

Biosimilars and the FDA

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Biosimilars are in the news and will be prominently on parade at next week's ACR meeting in San Francisco. Biosimilars are similar to, but not the same as, innovator biologics.

Economic Burden of ANCA-Associated Vasculitis in the USA

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To assess the prevalence and magnitude of healthcare costs associated with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) in the USA, researchers analyzed adminstrative data from Truven Health MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases.

Repeat Skin Cancer Risk with Methotrexate and Biologics

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Using Medicare claims data, a retrospective cohort study analyzed the risk of a second non-melanomatous skin cancer (NMSC) in 9460 individuals (6841 with RA and 2788 with IBD).

High Level Skin Responses Seen with Inhibitor of IL-23p19 in Psoriasis

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Rheumatology News reports the results of a novel trial presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology meeting in Copenhagen.

FDA Panel Votes 10-4 to Approve Lesinurad for the Treatment of Hyperuricemia/Gout

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Despite concerns over safety, the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee voted favorably to approve lesinurad (LES) at a meeting held Friday, October 23, 2015. Overall, panel members felt the potential benefits of LES outweighed the safety concerns reviewed by the FDA presenters.

FDA Holds Off on Xeljanz Approval for Psoriasis

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The FDA has denied Pfizer's application seeking an indication for Xeljanz in patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis.

Circadian Efficacy with Cathepsin K Inhibitor ONO-5334

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Osteoporosis is associated with significant morbidity, and hip fractures as sequelae confer a 1-year mortality risk of 8.4–36%.