The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 NewsACR Convergence
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
      • Psoriatic Arthritis
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Biologic Logic: Making Sense of Current Therapies for Rheumatic Diseases

Biologic Logic: Making Sense of Current Therapies for Rheumatic Diseases

January 1, 2009 • By Staff

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Continuing the ARHP 2009 Audioconference/Webcast series, Daniel F. Battafarano, DO, FACP, FACR, will discuss the use of biologic therapy in the treatment of rheumatology patients on February 10 from noon to 1:00 pm ET. During the session, Dr. Battafarano will review basic immunology, inflammation, and relevant cytokines for common rheumatic diseases. In addition, he will describe the current biologic therapies and their relationship to rheumatic disease outcomes, and identify future biologic strategies for therapy.

You Might Also Like
  • 2014 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting: Super Proteins Eyed in Therapies for Rheumatic Diseases
  • Dr. Michael Weinblatt Discusses Current & Future RA Therapies
  • The Pharmacist’s Role in Managing Rheumatic Diseases
Explore This Issue
January 2009
Also By This Author
  • President’s Perspective: New ACR Lupus Initiative Program Helps Identify and Eliminate Bias in Rheumatology Practices

Dr. Battafarano is currently employed as chief of the division of rheumatology at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, since retiring in 2004 from active duty service in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. Most recently, Dr. Battafarano prepared an online training basic science module for the ACR/ARHP Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant Postgraduate Rheumatology Training Program, reviewing musculoskeletal structure and function, inflammation, and immunology.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Biologics have become a more common therapy in the treatment of rheumatic disease, and Dr. Battafarano suggests healthcare professionals become familiar with the potential side effects of these medications—or at least consider unusual side effects patients on biologic therapies might experience.

“The efficacy of biologic therapy and the treatment of rheumatic disease over the last 10 years have been profound,” explains Dr. Battafarano. “It is important for healthcare professionals to be knowledgeable about biologic therapy for patients with rheumatic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, since it has dramatically affected joint pain and swelling, slowed or stopped radiographic disease progression, and has improved quality of life.”

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Additionally, Dr. Battafarano believes that it is important for healthcare professionals to be aware of what comes with this therapy, saying “biologic therapy has become state-of-the-art treatment for these rheumatic diseases, and healthcare professionals need to be very familiar with common side effects and unusual side effects, like tuberculosis.”

Despite the fact that these medications are expensive, Dr. Battafarano believes that it is becoming well accepted that biologic therapy is cost effective not only for individual patients but for the community as a whole. Patients treated with these medications feel better and most can subsequently stay in the workforce and contribute to society and to the economy.

To register for the February 10 audioconference/webcast, contact Sharon Ross at (404) 633-3777, ext. 802 or visit www.rheumatology.org/arhp.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Filed Under: From the College Tagged With: Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP), Biologics, rheumatic diseases, TherapiesIssue: January 2009

You Might Also Like:
  • 2014 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting: Super Proteins Eyed in Therapies for Rheumatic Diseases
  • Dr. Michael Weinblatt Discusses Current & Future RA Therapies
  • The Pharmacist’s Role in Managing Rheumatic Diseases
  • Should Patients with Rheumatic Disease Switch from Biologic to Biosimilar?

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use / Cookie Preferences

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2023 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)