Pain management in the U.S. is at a vexing crossroad. The news tells us that narcotics are increasingly being restricted for their dangerous side effects and inappropriate use.

Good news for gout patients includes the recent approval of Zurampic (lesinurad), a URAT-1 inhibitor, and that effective urate-lowering therapy has significant long-term cardiovascular benefits. 

Dr. Cush reviews highlights from this week on RheumNow.com.

In the last two years there have been increasing reports of mosquito-borne infectious arthritides.  Dengue fever was best known until the introduction of viral infections due to chikungunya and Zika. 

Selective IL-23 inhibition has been touted to be the next great advance in the treatment of inflammatory bowel and psoriatic disease.

In an era of increasing fears over narcotic abuse and narcotic-related deaths, the number of opioid prescriptions in the United States is finally falling, the according to the NY Times. 

The following is a compilation of several frequently asked questions regarding tuberculosis (TB) testing or treatment in patients on a TNF inhibitor (TNFi) or other biologic agents.

The initial choice of biologic is crucial to long-term success. Yet there are few studies evaluating head-to-head differences in some of our most popular therapies.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews this week's news and research highlights from RheumNow.com.

The New York Times reports that the FDA has delayed its much anticipated ruling on generics until sometime in 2017. 

Singh and coworkers have assessed the value of adding a biologic to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients not responding to either methotrexate (MTX) or DMARDs. The results of their netowork metanalsysis is published as a Cochrane review wherein they examined a total of 90 RCTs (73 new) with 32

Secukinumab (Cosentyx) has recently been approved for use in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis; the latter largely based on the FUTURE 2 and the just reported FUTURE 1 clinical trial. FUTURE 1 demonstrates the efficacy and safety of secukinumab, with inital weekly intravenous loading, given monthly as a subcutaneous injection. 

Generics are being approved at a record-setting pace.  Thanks to the 2012 FDA Safety and Innovation Act, there are new funds generated by manufacturers' fees for drug applications to hasten the approval of generics. In 2015 alone, the FDA has approved 580 generic drugs – the highest number on record – while another 146 were granted tentative approval.

How would you manage rheumatoid arthritis patients with melanoma in situ, or high liver enzymes or interstitial lung disease? Curbside consults takes on these challenging therapeutic or safety issues with answers are based on experience, literature and guidelines.

Khanna and coworkers have published the results of the DUAL-1 and DUAL-2 clinical trials (sponsored by Actelion Pharmaceuticals) testing the efficacy macitentan in reducing the number of new digital ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Research presented at the annual British Society for Rheumatology conference revealed that rheumatoid arthritis patients who drink moderately while taking methotrexate appear to be at no greater risk for liver damage than nondrinkers.

The results of the faSScinate trial were published in Lancet showing that treatment with Actemra (tocilizumab) resulted in a reduction in skin thickness and an improvement in lung function in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Watch Dr. Cush discuss the highlights from this week on RheumNow.com.

Glucocorticoid (or steroid) therapy is a well-known risk factor for diabetes. But what dose, given how and for how long?  Dixon and colleagues from the The University of Manchester have quantified the risk of diabetes associated with steroid use.

An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration met May 3rd and 4th to review whether the long-acting or extended release (ER/LA) opioid REMS programs approved in 2012 have had a meaningful effect on the opioid abuse problems noted nationwide. The FDA panel voted overwhelming