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

Monitoring Doctors Cuts Opioid Prescriptions

Ronnie Cohen  |  

(Reuters Health)—Doctors in states that track painkiller prescriptions were nearly one-third less likely to offer patients dangerously addicting opioids, a new study found. The launch of drug-monitoring programs in 24 states led to an immediate 30 percent drop in prescriptions for Schedule II opioids, the most addictive, in patients with pain complaints, the study showed….

FDA Seeks Suspension of 4,402 Illegal Prescription Drug Websites

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday it, along with international authorities, has formally sought to suspend 4,402 websites that illegally sell potentially dangerous, counterfeit or unapproved prescription drugs to U.S. consumers. The move is part of a global effort being led by the INTERPOL, the world’s largest police organization, to identify the…

NSAIDs Effective for Early Axial Spondyloarthritis

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective, but underused, in patients with early axial spondyloarthritis, researchers from France report. NSAIDs are the cornerstone of treatment of axial spondyloarthritis, but there is often a trade-off between prescribing doses high enough to decrease pain and other symptoms vs. keeping the doses low enough to decrease…

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….