All News
RheumNow Podcast – When You’re Hot You’re Hot (10.11.19)
Dr. Jack Cush delivers select commentary on select news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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Long Delays for Inflammatory Arthritis Patients
The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society's (NRAS) annual audit has identified significant treatment delays for patients with suspected early inflammatory arthritis could result in unnecessary harm.
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Biologics Lead the Way in Drug Price Increases
Reuters has reported the results of a recent Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) analysis showing that biologics, especially Humira and Rituxan, are leading the way in the cost of drugs in the USA.
All told, Humira and Rituxan topped a list of seven treatments whose combined 2017 and 2018 price hikes accounted for a $5.1 billion increase in U.S. drug spending. ICER said their analysis points to price hikes that were more than twice the rate of medical inflation and were not warranted by any new clinical evidence.
FUTURE 5 - Secukinumab and Less Radiographic Progression in Psoriatic Arthritis
The FUTURE 5 trial studied the effect of secukinumab (SEC) on radiographic progression through 52 weeks in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and found that SEC was clinically and radiographically superior to placebo (PBO).
Patients received s.c. secukinumab 300 mg load (300 mg), 150 mg load (150 mg), 150 mg no load regimens or placebo at baseline, at weeks 1, 2 and 3 and every 4 weeks starting at week 4. The majority (87%) of patients enrolled at baseline remained in the study for 52 weeks.
Antibiotics Increase Rheumatoid Risk - Again
Another UK study has suggested that prior use of antibiotics increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
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RheumNow Podcast – Women Take Over Rheumatology (10.4.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the News and Journal Reports from this week on RheumNow.com.
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Anakinra Use in Hospitalized Gout Patients
While the efficacy and safety of interleukin 1 (IL-1) inhibitors (e.g., anakinra) in the acute management of gout and pseudogout has been repeatedly shown, the cost efficacy of such biologic therapy has rendered it impractical for most. A new retrospective study has shown that IL-1 inhibitors may be effective and appropriate for some medically complex, hospitalized patients with acute gout or calcium pyrophosphate crystal arthritis.
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ACR Responds to CY2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
Rheumatology leaders commend CMS for proposing E/M code changes and urge agency to make additional changes to final rule.d
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RheumNow Podcast – Believe in Vitamin D or Rituximab? (9.20.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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FDA Grants Breakthrough Status for Potential Lupus Nephritis Drug
Obinutuzumab (Gazyva) has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in adults with lupus nephritis (LN). The drug made by Genentech, is going forward based on the Phase II NOBILITY study in adult patients with proliferative lupus nephritis (LN). Currently, there are no FDA-approved medicines for lupus nephritis.
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ACR Survey Shows Half of Patients Cannot Afford Treatments
Americans living with rheumatic disease face significant healthcare challenges, according to a national patient survey released this week by the American College of Rheumatology. More than 1,500 U.S. adults living with rheumatic disease responded to the survey, which asked a range of questions related to healthcare access, affordability and lifestyle. Key findings include that even though 90 percent of respondents reported having health insurance coverage, nearly 60 percent said they had difficulty affording their medications or treatments in the past year.
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Medical Use of Cannabis in 2019
JAMA has published an overview of cannabis and its medical uses. Although nearly 10% of cannabis users in the United States report using it for medicinal purposes, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of medical cannabis for most conditions for which its use is advocated or advised. Nevertheless, there is increase in favoring the public availability of cannabis, largely for the management of more than 50 medical conditions.
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Prior Authorizations Delay Care in Rheumatology
Physicians who believe their patients' health is negatively affected by insurers' demands for prior authorization, and the delays that often result, will find that opinion vindicated by a new study of rheumatology care: when permission had to be sought from insurers to provide intravenous drugs,
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Two vs. Four Weeks of Antibiotic Therapy in Septic Arthritis
A prospective trial has shown that 2 weeks of antibiotic therapy is as effective as 4 weeks of antibiotic therapy, with similar outcomes but shorter hospital stays.
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74 Percent of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Dissatisfied with Treatment
CreakyJoints has completed a 258 patient survey showing that nearly three-fourths of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have expressed dissatisfaction with their treatments, including conventional (csDMARDs) and biologic Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (bDMARDs).
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Need for Pre-operative Hyperglycemia Testing Prior to Total Joint Replacement
JAMA reports on a large Medicare cohort study showing that amongst patients undergoing total joint replacement (TJR), preoperative HbA1c testing was performed in 26% to 43% of patients with diabetes and in only 5% of those without diabetes. Importantly research has shown that an elevated HbA1c level is associated with postoperative complications.
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RheumNow Podcast - I Wanna New Drug (8-30-19)
Dr. Jack Cush vents on choosing new therapies in rheumatoid arthritis.
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RheumNow Podcast – Upadacitinib FDA Approved for RA (8.23.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reports on the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com, including: how your genetics may shape your microbiome; GERD as a risk factor for TMJ?; how can MDA-5+ dermatomyositis be any worse; new drug happenings; StillsNow.com; and more.
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A Multidimensional Definition of Remission
A study from Leeds suggests 'multi-dimensional remission' (MDR) can be seen in one-third of RA patients achieving DAS28-remission; such patients have better patient-reported outcome measures, making it an optimal goal, especially from a patient's perspective.
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RheumNow Podcast – Antibiotics Increase RA Risk (8.16.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reports the news and important journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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