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Rituximab's Efficacy May Be Correlated with CD4 T Cell Counts
Rituximab (RTX) is highly effective at B cell depletion and this may be one of several hypothetical ways in which the drug works. B cell numbers (measured as CD19+ B cells) plummet rapidly after the first infusion and stay down for 6-12 months.
Read ArticlePrudent Diet Reduces Risk of RA and Gout
The 2015 ACR meeting in San Francisco highlighted several studies wherein dietary patterns predicted a reduced risk of both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and gout.
Read ArticleThe Rising Price of Dermatologic Drugs
Containment of health care costs was a primary goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. But there is little evidence of success in curbing the rising price of prescription drugs. As such, many medications are unaffordable to those who need them.
Read ArticleFertility in RA Linked to Disease Activity, NSAIDs and Prednisone
Brouwer and colleagues from the University Medical Center Rotterdam in The Netherlands have studied the issue of infertility in a cohort of RA patients followed prospectively.
Read ArticleDSB: ACR 2015 Safety Reports
The following is a compilation of abstracts presented at the 2015 Annual ACR meeting in San Francisco. These were chosen on the basis of impact, quality and safety message.
Read ArticlePower Doppler Ultrasound Detects Early Synovitis Change in APPRAISE Study
While new recommendations suggest early aggressive management of rheumatoid arthritis, our ability to assess treatment response is limited to clinical and laboratory assessment.
Read ArticleEU Endorses Biosimilar Etanercept (SB4) from Samsung/Biogen
Reuters today reported that a copy of the blockbuster biotech drug Enbrel (SB4) was recommended for approval in Europe on Friday, making it the second so-called biosimilar antibody medicine to win such a green light from the continent's regulators.
Read ArticleOpioid Use Ups the Risk of Hospitalized Infections in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Researchers from Vanderbilt University have studied the issue of opioid use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and whether this influences infection risk.
Read ArticleSB4 - A Second Biosimilar Up For Review in Europe
A biosimilar of etanercept (Enbrel) made by the South Korean company Samsung Bioepis is under consideration by regulators in the European Union. Samsung Bioepis, a joint venture between Samsung Biologics and Biogen, is taking aim with its version of etanercept.
Read ArticleAlcohol and Methotrexate - What Do You Advise?
What are your rules on methotrexate and alcohol use? How about casual, social or occasional alcohol use? If one alcoholic beverage is ok, what about 2, 3 or six while taking MTX?
Read ArticleSurviving Infection on DMARDs or Biologics
Sepsis is a dangerous and potentially fatal consequence of serious infections (SIE), particularly in susceptible populations such as the elderly and immunosuppressed. Published evidence points toward the potential role of TNF in development of sepsis.
Read ArticleAre Guidelines Worth the Cost?
A thoughtful perspective on the purpose, focus and cost of guideline efforts in rheumatology has been published in the journal Rheumatology.
Is Baricitinib Really Better Than Adalimumab in RA: Trial Results Reviewed
Dr. Peter Taylor and colleagues presented their results of the 52-week BEAM trial wherein baricitinib (a JAK 1, 2 inhibitor) was compared to adalimumab in both clinical and radiographic outcomes. This was the most viewed abstract online at the ACR website.
Read ArticleAre We Using Methotrexate Appropriately?
Methotrexate is a mainstay drug in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Yet, we may not be using it long enough or optimizing its use.
Read ArticleImproving Cardiovascular Trends in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Myasoedova and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic have reported their new data that demonstrates improving cardiovascular (CV) mortality rates in current RA patients treated with modern drugs.
Read Article2015 ACR RA Guidelines Released– Finally!
ACR 2015 RA treatment guidelines were published yesterday, nearly a year after they were preliminarily presented at the 2014 ACR meeting in Boston. After a year of review and revision these have been posted.
Read ArticleInvokana Decreases Autoimmune Risk
In September, the FDA issued warnings that the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inihibitor Invokana may cause a dose-dependant increased risk of bone fractures. This was based on a review of nin
Read ArticleBiosimilars and the FDA
Biosimilars are in the news and will be prominently on parade at next week's ACR meeting in San Francisco. Biosimilars are similar to, but not the same as, innovator biologics.
Read ArticleIncreasing Risk of Septic Arthritis with Age
A retrospective population-based study from New Zealand examined the epidemiology, clinical features, and microbiology of adult native joint septic arthritis.
Read ArticleRepeat Skin Cancer Risk with Methotrexate and Biologics
Using Medicare claims data, a retrospective cohort study analyzed the risk of a second non-melanomatous skin cancer (NMSC) in 9460 individuals (6841 with RA and 2788 with IBD).
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