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Romosuzumab Followed by Alendronate is Best in Fracture Prevention
The NEJM reports that in high risk post-menopausal women, romosozumab for 12 months followed by alendronate resulted in a significantly lower fracture than alendronate alone.
Read ArticleHalf of Takayasu's Arteritis Relapse
A French retrospective study of 318 Takayasu's arteritis (TA) patients shows that 50% of patients will relapse and experience a vascular complication ≤10 years from diagnosis.
Read ArticleNew Zoster Vaccine Recommended by FDA Panel
Reuters reports that the FDA advisory panel has voted 11-0 in favor of the safety and efficacy and ultimate approval of GlaxoSmithKline’s Shingrix shingles vaccine for use in adults aged 50 and over.
Read ArticleJak Inhibition May Ameliorate Pruritus
Interleukin-4 has been shown to activate sensory neurons involved in pruritus, and that inhibition of IL-4 with Jak inhibition significantly alleviates itching.
Read ArticlePast Infection, Lung Disease Raise Risk for Myopathy
Infections and noninfectious pulmonary disease were associated with an increased risk for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), a Swedish study found.
Read ArticleBiologic Use in Adult-Onset Still's Disease
Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is the adult continum of systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SoJIA). Treatment of this febrile polyarticular systemic disorder can be complex, but has been relieved by several specific biologic therapies.
Read ArticleNew Recommendations on Biosimilar Use
The introduction of a growing number of biosimilars into the market poses a substantial change in cost of care for patients with inflammatory rheumatologic disorders.
Read ArticleRheumatoid Arthritis Augments Cardiovascular Risk
A large multi-center study of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has shown, after nearly 6 years follow-up, more CV events in males than females (21% vs. 11%, respectively) and that RA itself accounts for 30% of the attributable CV risk.
Read ArticlePsoriasis Doubles Mortality Risk
Noe and colleagues have reported in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology that by estimating the extent of skin involvement in psoriasis (%BSA) they may assess future mortality risk.
Read ArticleIncreasing Deaths and Breaking Bad with Fentanyl
Opioid overdose deaths quadrupled from 1999 to 2015 and accounted for 63% of drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2015. During 2010–2015, heroin overdose deaths quadrupled from 3,036 to 12,989, with heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) as likely contributors to this trend.
Read Article1 September 2017: The RheumNow Week in Review
This week's report includes new data on IL-1 inhibition and protection from CV events and lung cancer, baricitinib given a reprieve, and features on infections: HBV, shingles and mortality of septic arthritis.
Read ArticleDSB Reports & Updates – August 2017
This Drug Safety Bulletin address FDA delay of baricitinib, etanercept effective at room temperature, Consumer Reports features on drug safety, no association between Alzheimer's and PPIs, AHRQ review of opioid drug safety, FDA safety abeling changes, drug shortages and more.
Read ArticleCanakinumab Patients have Lower Risk of Lung Cancer
The CANTOS trial has shown that interleukin 1β inhibition by Canakinumab (CAN) resulted not only in a reduction of cardiovascular deaths but also significantly decreased the incidence and death from lung cancer.
Read ArticleTurnabout for Baricitinib
Eli Lilly and Company and Incyte Corporation announced today that, after discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in late August 2017, Lilly will resubmit a revised New Drug Application for baricitinib before the end of January 2018. The resubmission package will include new safety and efficacy data.
Read ArticleShingles Vaccine Studies in A&R
The current issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology features an editorial and two novel articles on the herpes zoster vaccine.
Read ArticleCanakinumab Reduces CV Outcomes in High Risk Patients
The results of a randomized, double-blind trial have shown that canakinumab (CAN), an interleukin-1β inhibitor, given as 150 mg every 3 months, resulted in a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events (in high-risk CV patients), independent of lipid-level lowering. The results of the CANTOS studywere simultaneously published in NEJM, Lancet and were presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Barcelona.
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Adalimumab Biosimilars Adding Up
Reuters reports that yet another adalimumab biosimilar has been approved by European Union regulators.
The new drug is named Imraldi, and is manufactured by Samsung Bioepis, a company who has several biosimilars approved or in development for worldwide use.
Read ArticleNon-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Infections - Diagnosis and Management for the Rheumatologist
Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial infections are among the most frequently reported opportunistic infections in the setting of biologic therapy. While there are hundreds of NTM species, only a minority are clinically relevant. In this review, I'll address important NTM diagnosis and management issues relevant to patients receiving biologic therapy.
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IV Golimumab Shines in Psoriatic Arthritis
Golimumab (GOL) is one of five marketed TNF inhibitors (TNFi) that is FDA approved for use in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Read ArticleIt's Rheumatoid Arthritis, not the TNF inhibitor, that Drives Lymphoma Risk
Evidence from multiple studies suggests there is an increased risk of lymphoma in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that is believed to be linked to the cumulative activity of the disease.
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