Drug Naming Games (2.7.2025) Save

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

1. How did Rheumatology go from being the happiest specialist to now being 5th from the bottom at 65%? Top heavy happiness seems to be influenced by income? what do you think? Allergy 94% Pathology 88% Dermatology 87% .... Rheum 67% Internal med 66%... https://t.co/YTKMElL868
2. FDA has approved Journavx (suzetrigine) 50 mg tablets, 1st in-class non-opioid analgesic, to treat moderate to severe acute pain in adults. Journavx reduces pain by targeting a pain-signaling pathway involving sodium channels in the peripheral nervous system, before pain signals… https://t.co/xKy7JY7pPr
3. A 3rd Actemra biosimilar was approved by the FDA - Celltrion announced approval of its 7th biosimilar, Avtozma (CT-P47, tocilizumab-anoh); both IV & SCm for Rx of RA, GCA, pJIA, Still's dz & Covid-19. Joins other IL-6 biosimilars Tofidence (Biogen 10/23) & Tyenne (Frensius 3/24)… https://t.co/UtG9YOXUX2
4. Overweight & obesity increase risk of Chr. Inflammatory Dz (CIDs). TriNetX EHR study of >3.1 million persons shows risk of any CID=28.5% in overweight/obese vs. 17.6% in controls (HR 1.52). Overweight/obesity posed a > risk of 4 CIDs in females & also >risk for 7 CIDs in Whites… https://t.co/U5ydFGolIY
5. Recent Excess Mortality in Young Adults JAMA has published a University of Minnesota cross-sectional study showing early adult (ages 25-44) mortality in the U.S. has risen substantially between 2011 to 2019 and 2020 to 2023. The largest portion of 2023 excess mortality was driven by drug poisonins… https://t.co/0LIoMqPkDj
6. Study of 702 pts who transitioned from PsO to PsA (median 9yrs) - no baseline differences in PsA pts who transitioned late (>9yrs); but on follow-up, the late group had lower Dz activity, less csDMARD use, but no difference in radiographic progression https://t.co/xUPXA79weS
7. Is IL-23i better than IL-17i at lowering PsA risk? Retrospective, real-world EHR data study from TriNetX shows that among 4580 adult psoriasis pts (2,273 on IL23i vs 2,307 on IL17i), IL23i had signif lower PsA incidence (HR 0.60; 0.44–0.82, P 0.001), esp if 41-65 yrs (HR 0.42) &… https://t.co/ZuCAiOTIke
8. Target Trial Emulation Study from EUSTAR - Adding po glucocorticoids (<20mg/d Pred) to immunosuppressives to 208 early diffuse systemic sclerosis pts does not improve skin scores. 12 mos mRSS change similar (-2.7 vs -3.1); same w/ shorter dz (≤ 24 mos) or w/ mRSS ≤22.… https://t.co/QVbhFOEfIk
9. Dannish study of 1 million infants, exposed vs unexposed to systemic glucocorticoids shows prenatal GC exposure assoc w/ higher risk of autism (RR 1.5), intellectual disability (1.3), ADHD (1.3), mood/anxiety (1.3). Same risk for 290K mothers w/ autoimmune/inflamm Dz https://t.co/bXL3YqCIYZ
10. UK NHS 2023-24 figures show hospitalization for SLE is 8X more common in blacks (62.6 per 100,000) compared to white SLE (7.8/100K) and Asian SLE (26/100K), Lupus hospitalizations risen 50% in 4 yrs (6,334 to 8,006 in 2023-24). Is this “stark” inequality from delayed Dx?… https://t.co/NDdIkWKZy5
11. Cross-sectional study of 50 SLE patients, 24% had fibromyalgianess, and 18% experienced widespread pain. Fibromyalgianess in SLE patients primarily reflects heightened pain sensitivity and symptom severity rather than SLE disease activity. https://t.co/oLYc4IsIpN
12. Screening for #RA-Machine learning algorithm applied to primary healthcare pts shown to correctly identify early RA based on 11 features (RF, CRP, ESR, SUA, HB, PLT, AMS, age, SJC TJC, deformity) w/ 96% specificity, 96% sensitivity, 96% AUC. https://t.co/Q25yvDwdJZ
13. TNF inhibitor use did not affect mortality outcomes in 3 cohorts w/ early Cancer (colorectal [514], lung [864], & prostate [603]). 12-20% of CA pts recv TNFi. Overall survival at Yr 1 unaffected in colorectal (HR 0·72; 0·43–1·21), Lung (0·70; 0·49–1·00), Prostate (0·80; 0·44–1·44). Steroid use had had significantly worse overall survival #s https://buff.ly/3EqWV98
14. Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Becoming Milder?