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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

FDA Approves Valeant’s Drug to Treat Plaque Psoriasis

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.’s brodalumab (Siliq) to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Brodalumab is administered as an injection. Brodalumab is intended for patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy and have failed to respond, or have stopped responding to other systemic therapies,…

Celecoxib Is a Safe Treatment for Arthritis

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A study compared celecoxib with ibuprofen and naproxen to determine its cardiovascular safety, as well as gastrointestinal and renal outcomes, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The results showed that celecoxib met all prespecified noninferiority requirements and is as safe as other non-selective NSAIDs…

Weak Thigh Muscles Tied to Knee Osteoarthritis in Women

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Women with weaker thigh muscles may be more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis, a recent study suggests. Women with lower knee extensor strength were 47 percent more likely to develop knee arthritis than women who had stronger knee extensors, the study found. Weakness in the knee flexor muscles was associated with 41 percent greater…

Switch to Biosimilar Infliximab for IBD Slashes Drug Costs

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK—Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients can be safely switched from originator infliximab to biosimilar infliximab using a managed-switching program, U.K. research shows. “Thus far, there does not appear to be any significant difference between the two infliximab products in terms of drug persistence, side effects, adverse reactions, disease activity, or blood tests, but ongoing…

Quality Update Reporting Changes under MACRA

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With the termination of the Sustainable Growth Rate formula through the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), clinicians who participate in Medicare Part B will now be reimbursed through a new payment model called the Quality Payment Program (QPP). How It Works The QPP rewards the delivery of high-quality patient care via…

ACR Urges CMMI to Test Transparently: Coalition offers principles to guide CMS’s care innovation efforts

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The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), which develops concepts for healthcare payment and service delivery, must be transparent and engaged with all stakeholders as it tests new models, according to a coalition of 30 associations. On Feb. 10, the Healthcare Leaders for Accountable Innovation in Medicare Coalition, which includes the ACR, released six…

RISE Is Ready for MIPS

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Implementation of the Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) began Jan. 1. What does this mean for rheumatologists? It means you must pick the measures by which you will be evaluated and the pace at which you will begin reporting in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System or participating in an Advanced Alternative…

Rheumatology Practices Need Sharp Focus on Patient Care Safety, Quality

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“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” —W. Edwards Deming For practices to survive, change is a requirement—not an option—in the rapidly evolving practice of rheumatology care. Pharmaceutical therapies are advancing quickly, opening the door for game-changing therapies in the treatment of chronic autoimmune disorders. With these advances comes a need for…

Tips for Handling Less Common Rheumatoid Arthritis-Related Disorders

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—As treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) improve, some related conditions that used to be common in patients with RA are not seen very often anymore, but they still exist and physicians need to know how to identify them. Speaking to attendees at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting talk titled Rheumatoid Arthritis—A Case-Based Approach to Selected…