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Pharma/Regulatory

Is MTX Safe in the Elderly? (12.1.2023)

Dec 01, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush reviews this past week's news and journal reports from RheumNow.com. Good news is that nearly 99% of adult rheumatology positions matched! But the challenge is that 45% of pediatric fellowship programs and 39% of pediatric rheum slots were unfilled in the 2024 NRMP match.

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Plotting Future ACR Convergence Meetings (11.24.2023)

Nov 24, 2023

In this week's podcast, Dr. Jack Cush reviews the ACR Convergence 2023 meeting and proposes how to best learn at your next large medical meeting.

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Rheumatology Roundup - ACR 2023

Nov 17, 2023

Drs. Jack Cush and Arthur Kavanaugh discuss highlights and key takeaways from ACR 23.

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ACR23 – Day 3 Report

Nov 15, 2023

These year’s annual ACR Convergence has been a success with the return of an insanely active Poster Hall! F2F learning amidst miles of research and many young talented aside wizened establish presenters is such a welcome return to ACR, the way it should be.



Highlights from today

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Day 2 Report - ACR Plenaries: Changing the Practice of Rheumatology

Nov 14, 2023

Over the years of navigating the annual meeting, I found the sessions with the most impact to my practice were the Plenary Sessions. During these sessions, the latest research is presented, new ideas are floated, and old myths debunked. Here are the top ACR2023 Plenary abstracts I found

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#ACR BEST Abstracts from San Diego – Day 1

Nov 13, 2023

The RheumNow faculty reporters have been scouring the meeting for what they believe to be the best presentations from the first day at ACR 2023 in San Diego.  From hundreds of online presentations, the poster floor and the plenary podium, here are some of the best abstracts from Sunday Nov. 12th

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The critical mass of biosimilars in the US is surely getting there. My opinion: now it’s time for price competition. Otherwise you have to ask, what was the point of it all? Maybe I’m just a naive foreigner. But US patients deserve better. #ACR23 @US_FDA session @RheumNow https://t.co/enHY6xffMa

Obintuzumab in Lupus Nephritis

EurekAlert
Nov 10, 2023

In a post hoc analysis of the phase 2 NOBILITY trial, researchers found that treatment with obinutuzumab—an antibody that targets a protein expressed on certain immune cells—was superior to placebo for preserving kidney function and preventing flares in patients with lupus nephritis, a kidney

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Rheumatoid Synovium Characterized by Six Cell Type Phenotypes

Nov 09, 2023

Research work from the Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP: RA/SLE) Network, was published in Nature and more specifically characterizes RA synovium into several cell-type abundance phenotypes (CTAPs). Could CTAPs known disease features or more effective future therapies? 

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Arthritis Increased Amongst US Veterans

CDC
Nov 09, 2023

A recent CDC reports estimates that in 2019–2021, 21% of U.S. adults (53.2 million) have physician diagnosed arthritis. Now, an updated report shows a larger number (~33%) of U.S. veterans having diagnosed arthritis. Compared to nonveterans, this prevalence was double in men, and 60% higher in

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X-Rays Questioned for Diagnosing Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

MedPage Today
Nov 08, 2023

Routine hand and foot radiographs in more than 700 patients being evaluated for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) made almost no difference in diagnosing the condition nor in predicting its course, Dutch researchers said.



Fewer than 5% of x-rays showed RA-type erosions, and diagnostic

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ACR Reacts to 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

ACR
Nov 06, 2023

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) expressed concern that the conversion factor included in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) CY 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program final rule is insufficient to address rising inflation. However, ACR is

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Anakinra Effective in Systemic JIA, Irrespective of HLA-DRB1 and IL1RN Variants

Nov 06, 2023

A prospective study of first line use anakinra in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) proved to be effective and without potentially allergic lung reactions.

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Late Should Not Be Less (11.3.2023)

Nov 03, 2023

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




  1. Study of LATE-onset RA (>65y), shows DMARD initiation is low in LORA;  despite current clinical practice guidelines recommending early aggressive Rx. Among 3,373

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H. Zoster Subunit Vaccine Efficacy with JAK Inhibitor Therapy

Nov 02, 2023

JAK inhibitors are known to increase the risk of herpes zoster infections between between 3-5 fold.  Two recent reports suggest variable efficacy when JAK inhibitor (JAKi) treated patients are vaccinated with the recombinant herpes zoster subunit vaccine (RZV). 

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Oral Surveillance Study Alters Practice at VA

Nov 02, 2023

Safety risks found in a postmarketing trial with the Janus-associated kinase (JAK) inhibitor tofacitinib (Xeljanz) appear to have influenced prescribing patterns across the class for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system, researchers found.

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Cardiovascular and Venous Thromboembolic Risk With JAK Inhibitor Treatment of Skin Disorders

Nov 01, 2023

A JAMA systematic review and meta-analysis has showed the use of JAK inhibitors (JAKi) in immune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases was not associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), or venous thromboembolism (VTE) (compared to the

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FDA Approves Infliximab Biosimilar for Subcutaneous Use

Oct 27, 2023

Another infliximab biosimilar has been FDA approved, but this new version of Inflectra can be given subcutaneously for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.



The Celltrion drug,

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Subcutaneous Biosimilars? (10.27.2023)

Oct 27, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush reviews RheumNow's top entries the PMR Campaign, news, journal reports and regulatory actions.




  1. #PMR Polymyalgia rheumatica is very common, yet there is little research on the Dx & Management of PMR by #PCPs! Mayo study prevalence 701 per 100,000 (women=870

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ACR 2022 Guideline on Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis

Oct 24, 2023

The ACR has published its updated recommendations for prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) for patients receiving >3 months treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs) ≥2.5 mg daily.



Despite increasing treatment options to prevent and treat GIOP, many GC-

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Methotrexate in OA (10.20.2023)

Oct 20, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush discusses the news, journal articles and regulatory actions. This week we discuss JAKne, DLE and SLE and more.

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FDA Approves Bimekizumab for Plaque Psoriasis

Oct 18, 2023

UCB announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved bimekizumab-bkzx (Bimzelx)) for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who needing systemic therapy or phototherapy.

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2023 EULAR Lupus Management Recommendations

Oct 17, 2023

EULAR has published updated recommendations for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) based on new evidence and expert opinion - formulationg five overarching principles and 13 recommendations.



A multinational international Task Force included  35 rheumatologists, five

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Could Methotrexate Work in Hand Osteoarthritis?

Oct 16, 2023

Lancet reports the results of the METHODS study from Australia where hand osteoarthritis (HOA) patients benefitted from 6 months of methotrexate (MTX) - as long as there was MRI synovitis!



This multisite, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, enreolled adults (aged 40–75

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PMR & Popeye's Spinach (10.6.2023)

Oct 06, 2023

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the big PMR reports from this week along with other journal reports from RheumNow.com.

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