Mirtazapine has been prescribed off-label to fibromyalgia patients who have not responded to other treatments. However, a recent systemic review found no difference between mirtazapine and placebo for these patients, and any potential benefits from mirtazapine may not outweigh its potential harm, including drowsiness, weight gain and liver damage…
Mart Mannik, MD, professor emeritus, Division of Rheumatology at the University of Washington (UW), passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018. Dr. Mannik was born in Estonia and came to the U.S. at age 12 as a refugee from World War II. He received his medical degree from Western Reserve University School of Medicine in…
Late last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM), seeking feedback on a potential drug pricing model called the International Pricing Index (IPI) model. This comment solicitation is in alignment with the administration’s blueprint to lower drug costs and reduce out-of-pocket costs, and is an…
Background & objective: One of the major challenges in the treatment of chronic joint diseases, such as osteoarthritis (OA), is the need to provide sustained bioavailability of a therapeutic agent within the joint. Systemically administered drugs cannot sufficiently reach the synovial space, and intra-articularly injected agents are cleared from the joint fluid rapidly by the…
Gaps in healthcare are common between the ages of 17 and 21. But simple collaborations between adult and pediatric rheumatologists can go a long way to help young adults stay engaged in their rheumatology care…
CHICAGO—Diagnostic and treatment tips on Sjögren’s syndrome from the experts at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.
The FDA has approved subcutaneous tocilizumab for treating active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis in pediatric patients as young as 2 years old…
Pain sensitization, such as that experienced by patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), has been associated with poorer clinical outcomes after surgery. New research has found that, although pain sensitization in CTS patients correlates with preoperative symptom severity, CTS symptoms did not have a persistent effect on functional outcomes after surgery…
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday his administration is seeking to lower prescription drug prices by determining the price the government’s Medicare program pays for some medications based on the lower prices paid in other countries. Trump said the move takes aim at what he characterized as “global freeloading” on prescription drugs. “The…
SINGAPORE (Reuters)—Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki has opened up about her battle with rheumatoid arthritis, saying there have been days this year when she found it hard to get out of bed. The Dane, who claimed her maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne this year, crashed out of the WTA Finals in the group stage…