Tildrakizumab, an IL-23 Inhibitor, is Successful in Plaque Psoriasis

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Therapeutic options for cutaneous psoriasis (and psoriatic arthritis as well) are rapidly expanding.  Lancet has published the impressive results of two phase III trials of tildrakizumab, a IgG1 antibody against interleukin 23 p19, in patients with active chronic plaque psoriasis.

ACR/AAHKS Guidelines on Perioperative Management

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The American College of Rheumatology has partnered with the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons to develop consensus-based guidelines for perioperative management of antirheumatic therapies for patients with rheumatic diseases who plan to undergo total joint replacement.

EULAR 2017 – Day 4 Highlights

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Saturday was a day of big posters and special seminars at EULAR in Madrid.  In the morning, I passed on an interesting session on nailfold capillaroscopy led by Dr. M Cutolo and went to a JIA outcomes session.

EULAR 2017 – Day 3 Highlights

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Friday was a mega-day in Madrid as this day all the late-breaking abstracts were presented, in addition to the bulk of high-impact podium presentations in several areas.

Here are the major presentations from several clinical areas.

Gouts' Increasing Hospitalizations and Poor Management

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Numerous studies have shown that gout hospitalizations have increased in the last decade. Also worrisome is a new studiy showing that patients admitted to the hospital are less likely to have received recommended urate-lowering treatment (ULT).

Lancet Launches EULAR 2017 and "A Platinum Age of Rheumatology"

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The current Lancet edition for 10 June 2017 is a rheumatology rich collection.  

Supreme Court Decision Favors Earlier Biosimilar Adoption

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On Monday June 11th, the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled that biosimilar manufacturers can bring their drugs to market faster by eliminating the provision that the biosimar manufacturer had to give the innovator company 180 days notice before launching the new biosimilar.

FDA Approves Abatacept for Pediatric Use

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Subcutaneous (SC) abatacept (Orencia) is now available for use in patients 2 years of age and older with moderately to severely active polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic (JIA) according to Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Suspending Methotrexate for Influenza Vaccination

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Vaccinating our rheumatoid arthritis patients against influenza every year is a safety priorty. However immunosuppressive therapies pose a challenge to vaccine administration as their use can hamper vaccine immunogenicity.

FDA Requests Removal of OPANA-ER from the Market

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked Endo International to withdraw Opana ER from the market, stating that benefits no longer outweigh its risks of this long-acting opioid.

Debate over Alcohol and Methotrexate Precautions

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Drs. Kremer and Weinblatt have responded to a recent Annals of Rheumatic Disease article regarding the hepatic risks of alcohol use with methotrexate (MTX) therapy authored by Humphries et al. (Citation source: http://buff.ly/2r70uuz)

2017 ACR Guideline on Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis

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The American College of Rheumatology has updated its 2010 guideline for the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. The guideline provides recommendations on assessing fracture risk and treatment for adults and special patient populations, including women of childbearing potential, adults treated with very high-dose glucocorticoids, adults with organ transplants, and children ages 4-17.

Upadacitinib Effective in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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AbbVie released the preliminary results of a rheumatoid arthritis trial wherein its Jak inhibitor, upadacitinib, was tested against placebo, and shown to be superior in established RA patients who have failed prior DMARD therapy.

Nurse-Led Patient Care in Rheumatology

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Manpower in rheumatology is about to be a major problem for the next several decades: not enough trainees, a "tsunami of retiring older white rheumatologists", and an aging baby-boomer, arthritis-primed population will strain current resources and manpower.  Moreover, necessary services will not likely be available to those in need and there may be a significant maldistribution of adequate rheumatologic care.

Biosimilar Reports – May 2017

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Biosimilars continue to command a great deal of research, development and attention given the promise of significant cost savings and potentially wider use for those in need. Biosimilar Reports is an ongoing series dedicated to advances, discussions and developments in biosimilar agents intended for use by rheumatologists. 

Higher Fracture Risks with Prolonged Bisphosphonate Use in Older Women

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The Journal of the American Geriatric Society has reported that older women receiving bisphosphonate therapy for greater than 10-13 years were more likely to suffer from fractures.

20% Price Hike Among Pfizer Drugs

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The increasing cost of drug has been the subject of concern and review - by legislators, reporters and patients.

The Financial Times has reviewed the annual price increases for the 91 drugs in Pfizers portfolio, showing an average price increase by 20 percent in the past year.

The RheumNow Week in Review – 2 June 2017

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

Chondroitin Effective in Knee OA. Or is it?

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Reginster and colleagues have reported on the results of the CONCEPT trial showing that osteoarthritis (OA) patients treated 800 mg/day of  pharmaceutical-grade chondroitin sulfate (CS) have less VAS pain scores and improved function over 6 months therapy. These results were superior to placebo and equivalent to celecoxib in reducing in symptomatic OA knee pain.

Ohio Sues Five Pharma Companies Over Opioid Epidemic

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Ohio is suing five major drug manufacturers, accusing them of misrepresenting the risks of prescription opioid painkillers that has resulted in the current opioid epidemic.