The EULAR 2015 Report- Friday

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These abstracts and presentations were presented 12 June at the EULAR 2015 annual meeting.

The EULAR 2015 Report - Wednesday

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EULAR 2015 started the afternoon of Wednesday June 10th.

High Flare Rates with Drug Withdrawal in JIA

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While many adult rheumatologists are able to lessen or withdraw DMARD and biologic therapy in adults, little is known about the success of this practice in pediatric rheumatology clinics.

Tofacitinib Equal to Etanercept in Psoriasis, but only at 10 mg bid Dose

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A 12-week, phase III, non-inferiority, randomized clinical trial of tofacitinib, etanercept or placebo was conducted in 1106 patients with plaque psoriasis.

Nonadherence to Self-Injected Biologics is High

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Researchers from the University of Manchester investigated self-reported adherence to biologic treatment in RA and found that 41% of patients were non-adherent to adalimumab therapy at least once, and 23% were nonadherent overall. http://bit.ly/1KA2

Medicare D and Costly Biologics

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25% of Medicare beneficiaries with rheumatoid arthritis use high-cost biologics.  Yazdany and coworkers have analyzed a national cohort of beneficiaries and compared Medicare part D plans.

Amgen Halts Development of Brodalumab

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IL-17 inhibitors are being developed for treatment of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis. Broadalumab has been in phase II & III trials and been developed by a partnership between Amgen and Astra-Zeneca.

RA Sarilumab Trials Meet Primary Endpoints

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Three phase III studies of sarilumab (SARIL-RA-TARGET, -EASY and -ASCERTAIN), a fully-human IL6 receptor antibody, have been reported and met primary end points in these pivotal clinical trials.

Amgen & Abbvie Increase the Price of TNF Inhibitors

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The manufacturers of the 2 best selling TNF inhibitors, Enbrel and Humira, have announced a 9.9% price increase of May 1st. The current average price of Enbrel is $42,000 per annum.

Safety Reports & Updates – May 2015

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A Microneedle Pill as an Alternative to Injectable Drug

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Carl Schoellhammerhas just won the Lemelson-MIT National Collegiate Student Prize for his invention - the microneedle pill.

Tanezumab in Osteoarthritis: Data Presented at OARSI

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Pooled analyses of the tanezumab (a nerve growth factor inhibitor) phase 3 studies was presented at the 2015 Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) World Congress.

Economic Impact of Biosimilars

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According to the Federal Trade Commission biosimilars have the potential to save the U.S. healthcare system $250 billion through 2022.

Hepatotoxicity and TNF Inhibitors

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Hepatic enzyme elevations with TNF inhibitor use is not uncommon.

Lancet: Increase Serious Infection Risk with Biologics

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RA Compliance Undermines Treatment Success

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Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston prospectively studied 107 RA patients with regard to oral medication (DMARDs, steroids) adherence. They report that adherence was low, ranging from 58-71% overall.

Zoster Risk is Similar Among Different MOA Biologics

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The risk of new H zoster infection was studied among nearly 30,000 new biologic starts and compared rates seen with abatacept, adalimumab, rituximab, infliximab, etanercept, tocilizumab, certolizumab or golimumab initiation.

The Risk of Listeriosis in RA

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In the mid-1990s, our Rheumatology Division at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School became involved with an early trial of a brand new TNF inhibitor.

Is There a Standout When Comparing Novel Therapies?

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Randomized clinical trials are needed to show efficacy and safety, and are needed to back up the claims and indications for a particular drug. The issue of treatment choice has become challenging, especially when choosing to start or augment therapy.

FDA Outlines its Guidance for Biosimilars

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The FDA has released its guidance document on biosimilar development, stating that this represents its current thinking and may not be the final document. The document was published last week and will be instrumental in the development of biosimilar products in this country. In the