Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from this week in RheumNow:

Yesterday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new biosimilar, Erelzi, (etanercept-szzs), for the same multipile indications as the originator Enbrel, including rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, Erelzi, will be generically labelled as etanercept-szzs.

In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the warnings of all marked bisphosphonates to include the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and atypical femoral fractures (AFF). 

Lesinurad (Zurampic) was approved earlier this year as adjunctive therapy to other urate-lowering therapies. It is a selective uric acid reabsorption inhibitor (URAT-1 inhibitor) designed to treat gout, and be used in combination with other xanthine oxidase inhibitors.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.

Current guidelines regarding the use of biologics in patients who have previously had a malignancy are based more on opinion than evidence.

Is the occurrence of a fragility fracture a missed opportunity to reduce exposure to prescription drugs associated with fracture risk?

Researchers from Germany have analyzed their large prospective rheumatoid arthritis (RA) registry to address whether being on biologic therapies leads to poorer outcomes - namely sepsis or death, following a serious infection (SIE).

A new national survey in the United States of nearly 600 individuals with psoriasis, reveals that although patients have numerous treatment options, they have difficulty finding treatment plans that work. In addition, respondents reported a heavy emotional toll, with many feeling isolated and stigmatized due to the condition.

Tobacco and chronic smoking is a major risk factor for the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and chronic smoking has been linked to severity of disease and lower DMARD response rates.

Rheumatologists are well-acquainted with the rules for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) retinopathy screening: A) annual visits to the ophthalmologist and B) maintain HCQ doses at less than 6.5 mg/kg to avoid retinopathy.

Watch Dr. Cush review 13 highlights from this week on RheumNow.

Warnings of cancer, especially lymphoma, have accompanied the development and promotion of tumor necrosis factor inhbitors (TNFi) in the treatment of RA and other inflammatory disorders.

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is unknown but some have speculated a role for inflammation.

The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) has published comprehensive recommendations on reproductive health and family planning for women with systemic lupus erythematosus and/or antiphospholipid syndrome – conditions that largely affect women of childbearing age.

A EULAR task force of 24 individuals (including 15 rheumatologists) have updated their previous 2006 guidelines for gout. The current update, which includes 11 recommendations, is based on a systematic literature review and a Delphi consensus approach to recommendations.

Highlights from this week on RheumNow.com include:

1. Having #RA in addition to solid cancer (breast, lung, prostate, colon) increases mortality rates by 40-50% in elders https://t.co/aitjusmOai
2. The global market for rheumatoid arthritis therapies was $19.9 billion in 2015, expected to reach $21.3B by 2020 https://t.co/d2Sh5C8y9f
3. Half of doctors never heard of MACRA:Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act. Starts on Jan 1st! https://t.co/eYgWBWCw6y Blog:https://t.co/sRKZSOFyNV

And more!

Infections are a concern for many when using tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor (TNFi) therapy to treat inflammatory disorders. Even moreso in those at higher risk.

Chingcuanco and coinvestigators have reported on their comparative analysis of biosimilars and their originator TNF inhibitors in the current issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.  (Citation source: http://buff.ly/2arTd1q)

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