Drugs Contribute to Infectious Risks in Lupus

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Multiple patient- and disease-related factors -- including medication use -- were associated with the development of severe infections among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, a Spanish study found.

Biosimilar Reports – February 2017

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Biosimilar reports is an ongoing series dedicated to advances, discussions and developments in biosimilar agents intended for use by rheumatologists. Many of these items were compiled from news sources, journal articles and regulatory documents and are cited and linked within each section.

The RheumNow Week in Review – 17 February 2017

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews this week's news and information from the 2017 RWCS meeting in Maui.

BEAM Study: Baricitinib Beats Placebo and Adalimumab in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Baricitinib is a novel inhibitor of Janus kinases JAK1 and JAK2 that has been extensively studied in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  Baricitinib (AKA Oluminant) was recently approved by the EMA for use in Europe at a once daily dose of 4 mg per day.

Crohn's Arthritis Linked to E. Coli Infection

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Articular manifestations of Crohn's disease affects a significant number of patients with either oligoarticular or RA-like polyarthritis or spondyloarthritis.

Immunosuppressives Fail to Benefit Early Skin Scleroderma

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Treatment of systemic sclerosis is difficult, as there have few proven therapies capable of altering the course of the disease. Ideally, early intervention affords the optimal scenario wherein drug intervention can be proven to work.

Lupus in Kids: Damage Starts Early

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A new study sheds important light on the long-term outcomes of children diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Cytoplasmic Autoantibodies in the Anti-Synthetase Syndrome

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Patients known to be autoantibody positive (e.g., anti- Jo1) for the anti-synthetase syndrome were assayed by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) for other reactivities, showing antinuclear staining (ANA) or cytoplasmic staining (Anti-Cyt Ab+).

The RheumNow Week in Review – 3 February 2017

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews this week's highlights from RheumNow.

Complement Driven Vasculopathy Underlies Neuropsychiatric Lupus

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Neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE) is a diagnostic challenge as its clinical manifestations are protean and the pathophysiology is poorly understood.

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.

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.

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).

Dietary Intake Triggers Inflammation

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IL-1β, along with pancreatic insulin, helps regulate blood sugar levels, as well as chronic inflammation.

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.

The RheumNow Week in Review – 13 January 2017

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

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.

TREG Innovators Win the Crafoord Prize

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The 2017 Crafoord Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has been awarded to a Japanese scientists and two American scientists for their discovery and research on T regulatory cells (TRegs).

Multiple Comorbidity Risks with Giant Cell Arteritis

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Elderly patients treated with high doses of corticosteroids are bound to have multiple medical problems. But this was only recently quantified by researchers analyzing a a population-based cohort of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients in Southern Sweden.