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

Adalimumab Drives Regulatory T Cell Expansion by Binding to Membrane TNF

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antibody adalimumab drives regulatory T cell (Treg) expansion in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by binding to membrane TNF, researchers from the UK report. “These results show that adalimumab enhances the anti-inflammatory actions of TNF to increase regulatory T cell activity,” Dr. Michael R. Ehrenstein from University College London,…

Long-Term Therapy with Lilly Drug Found to Help Plaque Psoriasis

Gene Emery  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Aggregated results from three studies of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis show that Eli Lilly’s injectable drug ixekizumab can completely resolve the plaques in about one third of cases after 12 weeks of treatment. And with continued therapy every four weeks, at least half maintained or attained complete resolution of…

Race, Gender May Affect U.S. Doctor Paychecks

Andrew M. Seaman  |  

(Reuters Health)—When it comes to U.S. doctors’ paychecks, race and gender may be factors, according to a new study. “Black male physicians earn substantially less than white male physicians, while white and black females have comparable salaries,” says senior author Dr. Anupam Jena, of Harvard Medical School in Boston. “Black and white female physicians both…

FDA Panel Backs Teva’s Abuse-Resistant Opioid Painkiller

Natalie Grover & Toni Clarke  |  

(Reuters)—A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel recommended approving Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd’s long-acting opioid painkiller, Vantrela ER, saying data showed it reduces pain and has some abuse-resistant properties. The drug is designed for use every 12 hours for the management of pain severe enough to require around-the-clock treatment in patients who have…

Extra Bone Resorption in Pregnancy, Lactation May Pass Maternal Lead Burden to Baby

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Bone resorption increases during pregnancy and continues to be high postpartum, according to new findings using lead testing to measure bone turnover. Researchers also found unexpected evidence that maternal lead burden is transferred to the fetus. “These data confirm calcium balance studies that indicate increased bone resorption throughout pregnancy and lactation,” Dr….

Researchers Calculate Comorbidity Burden for Patients with SLE

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

A recent study from the U.K. calculated the incidence of comorbidity associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), specifically looking for cardiovascular disease, stroke, end-stage renal failure, cancer, osteoporosis and infection. Even after adjusting for age, sex and other variables, investigators found that people with SLE have an increased global burden of comorbidity compared with the general population. Additionally, the study found that men with SLE had higher rates of cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer, while women with SLE had higher rates of infection and osteoporosis. Overall, younger people with SLE had the greatest relative risk compared with controls…

Immunotherapy Largely Untested in Patients with Autoimmune Disease

Andrew M. Seaman  |  

(Reuters Health)—The safety and effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy is largely unknown in patients with autoimmune diseases, researchers say—and that might account for up to a quarter of individuals with lung cancer. Patients with autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis or psoriasis, have been mostly excluded from clinical trials testing immunotherapies over fears that…

Many Medical Devices Hit the Market before Safety Studies Are Published

Madeline Kennedy  |  

(Reuters Health)—Medical devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are often cleared before studies on their safety or effectiveness have been released to the public, a report suggests. Without published data, doctors and patients may not be able to make informed decisions about whether to use the products, the authors warn. The…