Articles By Jack Cush, MD
ICYMI: Actemra FDA Approved for Systemic Sclerosis Interstitial Lung Disease
Genentech announced Thursday that the US Food and Drug Administration approved tocilizumab (Actemra) for the treatment of Systemic Sclerosis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease (SSc-ILD), specifically indicated for slowing the rate of decline in pulmonary function in adul
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ICYMI: Cardiac and Cancer Signals Tofacitinib Safety Alert from FDA
The FDA has notified healthcare professionals of a safety alert concerning tofacitinib (Xeljanz), noting that preliminary results from a long-term safety clinical trial show an increased risk of serious heart-related problems and cancer with tofacitinib (compared to adalimumab) when given to at-risk rheumatoid arthritis patients. These findings are in addition to the thrombotic risks (added to the label), potential risks including blood clots in the lungs and death.
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RheumNow Podcast – As Good As I Ever Was (7.2.2021)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com.
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Gender Trends in Rheumatology
A study of rheumatologists in Ontario, Canada has shown an increasing percentage of women in rheumatology; unfortunately they have lower salaries but see fewer patients than do their older, male colleagues.
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Neuropsychiatric Events Common in Lupus
Neuropsychiatric (NP-SLE) or CNS lupus events range from mild to severe; several recent studies have noted that NPS lupus is common and should be screened for. A metanalysis of the literature finds 22 studies wherein the mean frequency of NPSLE ranged from 10.6% to 96.4%. When researchers with the Swiss SLE cohort study looked at their population, NPSLE was found in 28.1%. This included cerebrovascular insults, seizures and psychosis.
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The Potential of Rituximab Efficacy in Systemic Sclerosis
Rituximab (RTX) has been in the news a lot lately; more surprisingly for its potential benefits in progressive systemic sclerosis (SSc). Ebata and colleagues have published the results of a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial comparing intravenous RTX to placebo in 56 SSc patients. Patients had to have a modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) of 10 or more. The primary endpoint was the change in mRSS at 24 weeks.
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RheumNow Podcast – Modern Treatment of RA Pregnancy (6.25.2021)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews this week’s news and journal reports featured on RheumNow.com.
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Birthday Gatherings Increase COVID-19 Risk
How risky are family gatherings, birthday parties and informal social gatherings? A cross-sectional analysis suggests that birthdays may be associated with increased rates of COVID-19 infection within households where there is a high COVID-19 prevalence in the population.
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Knee Replacement in Obese OA is Cost Effective
Debates over ideal candidates for total knee replacement (TKR) in osteoarthritis patients often excludes those who are obese, but a recent article in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that TKR is both effective and cost-effective in obese patients (BMI >40 kg/m2) with
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Better Outcomes with Modern T2T in Pregnancy
With the expansion of knowledge regarding the safety of newer agents in pregnancy comes the PreCARA study showing that when pregnancy is planned and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are treated with a modified treat-to-target (T2T) approach, superior outcomes can be anticipated.
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