All News
The Cost of Not Taking Medicine
The NY Times points out "there is is an out-of-control epidemic in the United States that costs more and affects more people than any disease Americans currently worry about. It’s called nonadherence to prescribed medications, and it is — potentially, at least — 100 percent preventable by the very individuals it afflicts.
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FDA Delays Baricitinib Decision
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.
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The RheumNow Week in Review – 14 April 2017
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the past week's news, articles and advances from RheumNow.com.
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Acute Steroid Use Comes with Risk
Steroids are known for their acute therpeutic wonders and chronic hazards. Hence most practitioners are comfortable using short term, limited dose corticosteroids for a variety of ailments.
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Celecoxib Plus PPI Preferred in High Risk Patients
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.
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Hydroxychloroquine Underperforms in a Cutaneous Lupus Trial
Hydroxychloroquine has become a mainstay in the treatement of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with proven efficacy in managing many domains of lupus, including skin, joint, and other autoimmune features.
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Biologic Safety Holds Up in RA
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.
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Abatacept Use During Surgery
The issue of medication management is a complicated one, especially in complex rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients taking biologic or immunosuppressive drugs.
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The RheumNow Week in Review – 31 March 2017
Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from the news and Advances in Targeted Therapies meeting in Mandelieu, France:
Tweeting this week from Advances in Targeted Therapies #ATT2017 in Mandelieu, France.
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TNF Inhibitor Induced Psoriasis
Tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors (TNFi) rarely have been reported to induce new-onset psoriasis.
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Mortality in Gout Increased
Two current articles in the Journal of Rheumatology address issues surrounding mortality risk among those with new and established gout.
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ICER Report Claims RA Drugs are Not Cost Effective
On Friday March 24, the nonprofit Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) presented its report on the cost and value of targeted immune modulators (TIMs) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a meeting in Boston that included clinical experts, manufacturers, payers, and patients.
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Biologics Do Not Increase Melanoma Risk
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have a higher risk of certain cancers (e.g., skin, lung, lymphoma). At issue is whether the newer agents modify this risk appreciably.
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Steroids, DMARDs and Biologics have Same Low Risk of Infection During Pregnancy
Low rates of serious infections were observed in pregnant women receiving immunosuppressive therapies. Higher rates may be seen with steroid use in pregnancy and SIE trend towards lowest with DMARD or TNFi use.
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Lyrica Fails in Sciatica Pain
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.
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The RheumNow Week in Review – 24 March 2017
Dr. Jack Cush reviews news and highlights from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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NEJM Reviews Psoriatic Arthritis
A comprehensive review of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) was published this week in the NEJM, authored by leaders in the field, Drs. Ritchlin, Colbert and Gladman.
High points from their review inlcuded:
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Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation's 2017 Sjogren's Treatment Guidelines
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.
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Limited Benefits with Intra-Discal Steroid Injections for Back Pain
A a randomized trial published in Annals of Internal Medicine shows that intradiscal glucocorticoid injection has limited (1 month) efficacy in treating low back pain (LBP) associated with active discopathy, yet decreased over time.
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