Dr. Jack Cush highlights the big stories, news and articles from this week at RheumNow.com.

Adalimumab is currently FDA approved for use in adult psoriasis, pediatric Crohn's disease and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.  The current Lancet trial assesses the efficacy and safety of adalimumab in children and adolescents with severe plaque psoriasis.

Using data from Canadian and European healthcare databases, the BMJ has reported that all NSAIDs, including celecoxib and naproxen, increase the risk of acute myocardial infarction.

One-third of newly approved drugs in the next decade will require new safety warnings based on pharmacovigilance, according to a new study in JAMA. (Citation Source: http://buff.ly/2r3dYUs)

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has updated its 2008 clincial practice guideline on the treatment of low bone density and osteoporosis to prevent fractures in men and women.  The new guideline is in favor of generic bisphosphonate use and recommends against using menopausal estrogen therapy and against DEXA monitoring during the first 5 years.

Qin and colleagues have published in Arthritis & Rheumatology that 40% of people will be affected by symptomatic osteoarthritis in at least one hand.  (Citation source: http://buff.ly/2qTUscZ)  

Reuters has reported that U.S.spending on prescription drugs in 2016 increased by 5.8 percent over 2015 levels to $450 billion based on list prices, and by 4.8 percent to $323 billion when adjusted for discounts and rebates.

A current JAMA report shows that the implementation of policies at academic medical centers that restricted pharmaceutical sales representative (PSR) detailing was associated with modest but significant reductions in prescribing of detailed drugs across six of eight major drug classes; however, c

The FDA has approved injectable Tymlos (abaloparatide) for use in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients at high risk for fracture, as the drug has been shown to reduce the risk of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures in such patients.

On the 21st of April, the FDA approved another infliximab biosimilar, called Renflexis (Infliximab-abda) following on the biologics license application of the South Korean manufacturer Samsung Bioepis Co. LTD.  In early developmental trials this agent was also called SB2.

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

Eli Lilly and Company and Incyte Corporation announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has delayed its' decision on baricitinib by issuing a complete response letter for baricitinib's New Drug Application. 

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the past week's news, articles and advances from RheumNow.com.

When do the risks outweigh the benefits of NSAIDs use, especially in those with prior cardiovascular and gastrointestinal events? The CONCERN study has tested the effects of proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) in preventing GI bleeds when using NSAIDs and ASA.

An updated systematic literature review has provided reassuring evidence regarding the increasing safety of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), European researchers reported. 

The issue of medication management is a complicated one, especially in complex rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients taking biologic or immunosuppressive drugs.

Two current articles in the Journal of Rheumatology address issues surrounding mortality risk among those with new and established gout.

A recent RheumNow survey of 495 rheumatologists found that half of rheumatologists allow 1-3 alcoholic drinks per week and 6-7% has no alcohol restrictions while being treated with methotrexate (MTX).

Lyrica (pregabalin) was first approved in 2004 and since has been studied and approved for use in neuropathic pain (associated with diabetic neuropathy), postherpetic neuralgia, partial onset seizures, fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain with spinal cord injury.

Dr. Steven Carsons and an expert committee of the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation have published a clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and recommendations for the managment of Sjögren's syndrome.