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

U.S. Judge Cuts $500 Million Verdict over Johnson & Johnson Hip Implants

Jessica Dye  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—A U.S. judge has slashed a $500 million verdict against Johnson and Johnson and its DePuy unit over allegedly defective metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip implants to approximately $151 million. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade in the Northern District of Texas says he was compelled to reduce the verdict under a Texas state…

The ACR Opposes Part B Payment Demo & Other Highlights from the AMA HOD Meeting

Gary Bryant  |  

On June 15, the ACR and partnering physician specialist groups passed an American Medical Association (AMA) resolution opposing the proposed Medicare Part B drug payment demonstration during the AMA House of Delegates (HOD) meeting held June 11–15 in Chicago. Part B Payment Demo Resolution The resolution, which the ACR supported with the American Society of…

ACR Publishes National Research Agenda for 2016–2020

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Defining new therapeutic targets and developing new therapies are among the goals of the 2016–2020 ACR National Research Agenda. So, too, is understanding early disease states, defining triggers of autoimmunity and examining disparities in access to medication and treatment.1 Charting a Course Every five years, the Committee on Research (COR) is tasked with helping chart the…

GI Side Effects Leading Reason for Bisphosphonate Nonadherence

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Gastrointestinal side effects are the most common reason osteoporotic women cite for nonadherence to oral bisphosphonate therapy, according to a new survey. “Our findings highlight the importance of low tolerability to nonadherence with osteoporosis therapy and underlines patients’ poor awareness and suboptimal physicians’ involvement in conveying the importance of this therapy,” Dr….

Biosimilars: Unanswered Questions

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Debate continues about how biosimilars that are emerging to treat rheumatic diseases will be named and monitored, said panelists at a recent meeting in Washington, D.C.—Biosimilars in the United States: Next Steps. Angus Worthing, MD, FACR, FACP, a member of the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee, shared rheumatologists’ concerns as these new therapies come to market….

Prepare Now to Survive MACRA

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The year 2015 brought an end to the much-maligned Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), sometimes known as the “doc fix.” The SGR established limits on Medicare reimbursement for physicians, and each year, physicians and those lobbying on their behalf were forced to stave off drastic cuts to their payments. “The SGR was Congress’s attempt to control…

RA Choice: A Tool to Improve Patient Literacy

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

Doctor-patient communication is critical for successfully treating rheumatoid arthritis. But a majority of RA patients report suboptimal shared decision making, sometimes due to language barriers, lack of time, limited health literacy and other factors. A recent pilot study sought to improve patient understanding and communication by employing an adapted medication guide and decision aid during clinical visits. Use of the tool, RA Choice, resulted in an increase in patient knowledge, and a majority of clinicians found it helpful…

Spanish Drugmaker Fears Disruption if EMA Moves from Britain

Emma Pinedo  |  

MADRID (Reuters)—The likely relocation of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) from London threatens to disrupt the approval of new drugs and is a medium and long-term worry for top Spanish drugmaker Almirall, its chief executive says on Monday. The EMA, Europe’s equivalent the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, approves medicines for all European Union countries…

Statin Use Tied to Lower Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Megan Brooks  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Statin use is associated with a lower risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn’s disease in older patients, new research suggests. “Prior studies have suggested that statins can decrease inflammation and may improve IBD in patients who already have the disease. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show…