News
Voclosporin FDA Approved for Lupus Nephritis
On January 22nd, the FDA approved voclosporin (Lupkynis) for use in adults with active lupus nephritis; voclosporin is a calcineurin-inhibitor immunosuppressant indicated for use in combination with a background immunosuppressive therapy. FDA approval was based on data from the pivotal AURORA Phase 3 study and the AURA-LV Phase 2 study, which demonstrated the ability of voclosporin to significantly improve LN outcomes after 52 weeks of followup in SLE nephritis patients receiving background standard of care therapies like MMF, and low dose steroids.
RheumNow Podcast – Don’t Hold the Benlysta, Take the Vaccine (1.22.2021)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com, with more than a dozen items to discuss on this week's podcast.
NEJM: Early Combo Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in COVID-19
NEJM has published the interim analysis of the REGN-COV2 trial, wherein an antibody cocktail reduced viral loads with less clinical consequences.
Combo Anti-Spike Protein Antibody for Mild to Moderate COVID-19
JAMA has published the BLAZE-1 study, showing significant SARS-CoV-2 viral load reduction at day 11 and less COVID-19 progression when combination anti-spike monoclonal antibody therapy (bamlanivimab and etesevimab) was given to mild to moderate, non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Low Risk of TB with Secukinumab
JAMA Dermatology has reported on a longitudinal cohort study of 12,319 secukinumab (SEC) treated patients (psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis); no new cases of active tuberculosis (TB) and very few cases of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) were f
Mortality Risk in Rheumatoid Lung Patients
A Medicare claims analysis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients showed that RA-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) was seen in nearly 5% of patients and was found to increase mortality risks, including respiratory and cancer mortality not explained by other factors.
Factors Predictive of SLE Flare After HCQ Taper/Discontinuation
MedPage Today
Inequities in Telemedicine During COVID-19
MedPage Today
Health equity in the telehealth age has assumed added importance since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The Federal Communications Commission estimates that about 21 million Americans don't have access to the Internet in their homes. Other sources estimate it is closer to 162 million.
Travel During COVID-19 Pandemic
The CDC has addressed the effects and the issues of domestic and international travel on its website. Below is a sampling of key advice.
Copay Assistance Programs Help Patients but Confuse Them Too
MedPage Today
"If you're having trouble paying for your medications, Drug Company X may be able to help."
RheumNow Podcast – Steroids, IVIG & the Vaccine (1.15.2021)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. How to handle COVID19 Vaccine issues, IL-6 inhibition in COVID, Comorbidites in RA, IVIG in dermatomyositis, & more...
2020 Rheumatology Year in Review
2020 was historic, memorable and game-changing. Under the cloud of COVID-19, there were many significant and memorable advances and setbacks for the rheumatology world. In our accounting of most read articles for 2020, (not surprisingly) 17/20 were COVID-related.
ProDERM Study: IVIG in Dermatomyositis
The ProDERM study design and outcomes are previewed in Medicine; and as promised the results were revealed at ACR Convergence in November 2020 showing that IVIg is safe, effective and superior to placebo i(PBO) in patients with dermatomyositis (DM).
Long Term Safety and Efficacy of Tacrolimus in Lupus Nephritis
Takeuchi et al has published their large experience with long-term tacrolimus use in lupus nephritis patients showing its real-world safety and efficacy.