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Anti-Rheumatic Rx

Higher Medical Costs with Corticosteroid Use

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) health insurance claims database study from Japan shows that RA patients initially treated with glucocorticoids (GCs) and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) experienced greater medical costs and healthcare utilization than patients not

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Methotrexate intolerance in rheumatoid arthritis Methotrexate (MTX) is the most commonly used DMARD in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, there is significant intolerance to this drug among adult RA patients - especially at doses above 15 mg per week. https://t.co/aizooTPNTe https://t.co/FZ52bwHBfq
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
China study of 670 SpA pts rx w/ sulfasalazine betw 2016 to 2023 (469 pure AS; 201 w/ peripheral Sxs). SSZ Signif. reduced peripheral Sxs development (HR 0.49) and improved disease activity in both pure axial and axial-with-peripheral Sxs. https://t.co/5HdQCos9yM https://t.co/tTMScQDHBq
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

ILD Begins (8.29.2025)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from RheumNow.com. This week news on vaccines, safety of acetaminophen and more.

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Long-term Lab Monitoring in RA is Inefficient

Annals of Internal Medicine has published a retrospective study of long-term routine laboratory toxicity monitoring (lt-RLTM) in patients receiving disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy showing that most very abnormal laboratory finding occur early in therapy (first 6 months) or

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Osteoporosis in Older Men

JAMA has publish an invited commentary on Screening for Osteoporosis (OP) in Older Men. They point out that a simple screening strategy for older men based on previous fracture history and bone density screening at age 70 or 75 years is a reasonable means of screening for OP in older men.

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Methotrexate intolerance in rheumatoid arthritis

Methotrexate (MTX) is the most commonly used DMARD in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, there is significant intolerance to this drug among adult RA patients - especially at doses above 15 mg per week. 

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Celltrions tocilizumab biosimilar, tocilizumab-anoh (Avtozma, CT-P47), had similar efficacy when switching from reference tocilizumab (Actemra; Genentech) in a study of 444 RA patients x 52 wks. https://t.co/7aAyuUkZJ9 https://t.co/kJUrRkhstb
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Physical Therapy Underprescribed

MedPage Today

Just one patient in six was referred for physical therapy (PT) within 15 days of being treated for knee pain at one major U.S. health system, researchers found, despite nearly universal consensus that PT should be recommended in most cases.

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Prenatal acetaminophen linked to increased autism and ADHD

EurekAlert!

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in children. The study, published today

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Rapid rituximab infusions are safe & efficient. Metanalysis of 7 RCTs, 538 pts w/ autoimmune/rheumatic dz, showed infusions(RTX 1000 mg) of 90-120 min (w/ premedication) had low risk (3-15%) of mild (Grades 1, 2) infusion Rxns; only 6 Grade 3 Rxns https://t.co/uVKuhhc80F https://t.co/NIMMhgIRzH
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
FDA has granted Soligenix "Orphan Drug Designation" to study dusquetide in the treatment of Behçet's dz, based on an 8 patient proof of concept Phase 2a trial. Not yet FDA approved, dusquetide is a short peptide innate defense regulator (IDR). Behcets affects 18K in USA and https://t.co/RzzVuQ6bAB
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Antibiotics are not linked to Autoimmune disease in kids

EurekAlert!

The global incidence of autoimmune diseases among children has increased over the past few decades. A study published August 21st in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Ju-Young Shin at Sungkyunkwan University, Republic of Korea, and colleagues suggests that early

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Sjögren's Graduates (8.22.2025)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports, FDA approvals, drug safety, and more from this week.

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It's now called Sjögren Disease!

Sjögren syndrome is now Sjögren disease, according to recommendations stemming from the 2023 International Rome consensus for the nomenclature of Sjögren disease.

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Uncertainty with immunosuppressive for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies A current Cochrane review suggests a continued unmet need regarding the status and utility of targeted immunosuppressant and immunomodulatory treatments for IIM. https://t.co/evkwbX6U9j https://t.co/2s0Z9Y9Umm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Cardiovascular Sequelae in Adults After Kawasaki Disease

A long-term cohort study of children diagnosed with Kawasaki disease (KD) shows evidence of future adult cardiovascular complications and hospitalizations. These severe cardiovascular events clustered during the young KD adults and later, a second surge in their late 30s. 

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Safety of Combination Targeted Therapies in Psoriatic Arthritis

MedPage Today

Treating psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients with more than one targeted therapy appears to be just fine, with no increased risk of serious infections, insurance claims data indicate.

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Rheums Speak: Future of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The third survey in this series addressed clinician views on future trends (AI), future therapies and lessons learned.

This survey captured 233 responses from rheumatologists (91), most (61%) from the USA. US respondents were from the Southeast (17.5%), Southwest (11.4%), Mid-Atlantic (

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Cohort study of 1,553 Biologic or JAKi Rx IBD (Crohns; UC) pts (SpA excluded) found 106 (6.8%) w/ MSK Sxs & 30 (1.9%) later Dx w/ SpA (20: axial, 10: peripheral) after median F/U 5.2 yrs. SpA risk factors: partial Mayo UC (HR 1.57) & HLA-B27 positivity (HR 3.70) https://t.co/WgLLUjlLMk
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
The world of rheumatoid arthritis treatment has changed dramatically. What do the experts say about the evolution of biologics and DMARDs over the last 20 years? Join us for a live webinar, moderated by Dr. Jack Cush, where we'll unpack the results of a nationwide survey. Tues, https://t.co/pKhuHPwcs0
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Uncertainty with immunosuppressive for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

A current Cochrane review suggests a continued unmet need regarding the status and utility of targeted immunosuppressant and immunomodulatory treatments for the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). Overall there has been little progress since the previous Cochrane review (2012) that found

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TNF Inhibitors in Takayasu's Arteritis

A large, retrospective, multicenter study demonstrated the efficacy of intravenous infliximab and  subcutaneous adalimumab in patients with Takayasu arteritis.

This multicentre study enrolled patients from Takayasu's referral centers in France, Italy, Spain, Armenia,

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Guidance on aromatase inhibitor-associated bone loss with hormone-sensitive breast cancer

EurekAlert!

An updated joint position statement on the management of aromatase inhibitor-associated bone loss (AIBL) addresses the heightened fracture risk in women undergoing endocrine therapy for estrogen-responsive breast cancer, providing practical guidance for both osteoporosis specialists

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Teaching You How to Think… (8.15.2025)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and press clippings from the past week on RheumNow. Positive results in a Sjogren's trial, to PT or not to PT, and  aphorisms to live by.

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