NY Times on Arthritis Prevention
A reader question ("Ask Well") to the New York times wonders "is arthritis avoidable"?
A recent survey suggests that up to 60% of adults have been told by an HCP they had some form of arthritis.
News
Want to Go Far, Go Together (4.21.2023)
This week on the podcast Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, regulatory announcements and novel journal reports including a profile on pseudogout, the safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in RA patients and the diagnostic importance of neutrophils.
Aging Mechanisms Tied to Giant Cell Arteritis
MedPage Today
Senescence pathways are involved in giant cell arteritis (GCA), an analysis of patient tissue samples suggested, which may account for the efficacy of one agent now used for the disease and another in commercial development.
The Power of Collaboration: Building Relationships to Amplify Your Impact and Have More Fun
Collaboration has proven to be an essential ingredient for progress and innovation in rheumatology. Effective collaboration requires generosity with your time and resources. Here are some things that I’ve learned over the years about successful collaborations in rheumatology.
Sex-Specific Differences in Psoriatic Arthritis
A systematic review of published literature on psoriatic arthritis (PsA), clinical features, disease activity, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) shows generally higher levels of disease activity in women, compared to men with PsA.
Amgen Wins Otezla Patent Case - Brand Protected till 2028
Reuters
Amgen Inc convinced a U.S. appeals court on Wednesday to uphold patents that bar generic versions of its blockbuster psoriasis drug Otezla proposed by Zydus Pharmaceuticals and Novartis AG's Sandoz Inc until 2028.
TNR: Private Practice & Academia
In this session, our panelists addressed the big questions of: "How do I choose between private practice and academia?" and "How do I advance in my career?".
Renal Function Safe With Pegloticase-MTX Combo for Gout
MedPage Today
For patients with uncontrolled gout, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) remained stable with combination pegloticase (Krystexxa) and methotrexate treatment, researchers reported.
Women Rheumatologists Leading in the Private Sector
Women physician leaders have made significant contributions in various fields, such as business leaders as CEOs and board members, public health through national and international advocacy efforts, and the non-profit sector. "To Lead or Not To Lead" - that is the question.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Safety with Pre-existing Rheumatoid Arthritis
Lancet Rheumatology has published a retrospective analysis showing patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for cancer have the same outcomes (mortality and severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs)) even when they have pre-existing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Gender equity in academic rheumatology
Although almost half of our specialist rheumatology physician workforce is now women, gender inequity in career progression within academic rheumatology is a persistent problem. A recent analysis of the US rheumatology workforce showed that although women were well represented in rheumatology program director and division director leadership roles, women academics were less likely to be full or associate professors, had fewer publications, and received fewer NIH grants.
The Match Game (4.14.2023)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com, including Rheumatology success in the NRMP MATCH, Cocaine vasculitis and worrisome safety risks with Biologics and tsDMARDs.
Doctor’s Contracts: Pitfalls and Traps
I have signed a few employment contracts in my career. Signing a legal document always makes me nervous. Did I forget to add something, was there something in the fine print I missed, should I have clarified a clause, what happens if I break a clause or cannot fulfill the contract obligations? I spoke with Andrea Liberatore, JD, to navigate these questions and explain what to look for in a contract.
Pain and Opioid Updates
Today, the CDC and FDA provided new updates on the scope of pain in the USA and guidance on the use of opioids.
MMWR April 14, 2023
RA Patients on Biologics and tsDMARDs are still High Risk
A new Swedish ARTIS registry study of key safety outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving either targeted synthetic or biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/ts DMARDs, including Janus Kinase inhibitors (JAKi)), has been updated and affirms previously held risks.