A current JAMA report shows that the implementation of policies at academic medical centers that restricted pharmaceutical sales representative (PSR) detailing was associated with modest but significant reductions in prescribing of detailed drugs across six of eight major drug classes; however, changes were not seen in all of the academic medical centers that enacted policies.
The NEJM has published the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial showing adalimumab and methotrexate is effective in reducing ocular flares in juvenile idiopathic arthritis with uveitis.
BIRMINGHAM, England -- Smoking was a strong predictor of more severe disease in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA), with people who had ever smoked having worse disease activity and worse quality of life than those who had never smoked, researchers reported here.
In addition, current smokers fared worse than those who had quit, according to Sizheng Zhao, of the University of Liverpool, and colleagues.
The FDA has approved injectable Tymlos (abaloparatide) for use in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients at high risk for fracture, as the drug has been shown to reduce the risk of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures in such patients.
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news from the last week on RheumNow.com - from the ACR SOTA 2017 meeting in Chicago:
A 25 year-old female recently diagnosed with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis was started on a TNF inhibitor. She came in for a follow-up visit and noted that her toenails were brittle and discolored when she removed her nail polish recently. She is concerned that she may have psoriasis or that this may be a side effect of the TNF inhibitor.What is your next step?
A study in the April 24 issue of Nature Medicine suggests that senescent cells in the joint contribute to age-related degenerative disease and that their removal can abrogate disease.
A New York Times article sheds light on recent evidence suggesting that those undergoing hip or knee replacement will do just as well with home therapy compared to inpatient rehabilitation following surgery.
Despite the folklore, not all women with arthritis who become pregnant will improve or go into remission. Recent studies have suggested that up to one-third of RA patients will flare during pregnancy.This issue has been further examined in a cohort of 136 pregnant patients with RA and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) who were prospectively followed before, during, and after pregnancy.
The morbidity associated with osteoporosis-related fragility fractures imposes tremendous socioeconomic and medical impact on patients and society.
Extending bisphosphonate treatment beyond 3–5 years does not confer additional benefit in low-risk populations. Treatment re-initiation (usually 1–3 years after bisphosphonate withdrawal) depends on risk factors, new fractures and bone mineral density. The evidence regarding denosumab discontinuation is limited but caution is advised, as there may be a “rebound effect” with regard to fractures.
On the 21st of April, the FDA approved another infliximab biosimilar, called Renflexis (Infliximab-abda) following on the biologics license application of the South Korean manufacturer Samsung Bioepis Co. LTD. In early developmental trials this agent was also called SB2.
Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from the past week on RheumNow.com:
Something is curiously wrong when a drug induces the disease it is intended to treat. Yet this phenomenon has been described with all five FDA-approved TNF inhibitors.
Patients with active axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) can lack evidence of inflammation on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) but may develop evidence of inflammation over time.
