The ACR has continued its advocacy to ensure the safe adoption of biosimilars in the U.S., most recently addressing an FDA public hearing. Also, the FDA has approved tofacitinib for RA, and a clinical trial of romosozumab for patients with osteoporosis met its primary endpoint…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Routine osteoporosis screening in men is a good value and effective based on a cost-effectiveness model, researchers say. “Osteoporosis is not just a disease for women. Osteoporosis affects many men (approximately 2 million in the U.S.), with significant morbidity, mortality, and costs that are projected to rise with the aging of the…
(Reuters Health)—Patients give the same doctors different ratings depending on where their visit took place, according to a small U.S. study. Although doctors might act differently in an emergency department compared with a calmer office setting, researchers say the results also suggest that ratings are not a completely reliable measure of the quality of care…
LONDON (Reuters)—European regulators launched a new scheme on Monday to speed the approval of promising new drugs that address unmet medical needs by offering enhanced support to medicine developers as they work on clinical trials. The European Medicines Agency‘s (EMA) initiative called PRIME, which stands for PRIority MEdicines, is the latest example of regulators on…
In a large-scale study, researchers demonstrated that the use of bisphosphonates in postmenopausal women is associated with an increased risk of carpal tunnel syndrome, in addition to other known risks (e.g., incapacitating bone, joint and/or musculoskeletal pain, and osteonecrosis of the jaw)…
Research by Dr. Anthony Rosen, MD, and colleagues found a link between cancer and scleroderma, suggesting the immune system may edit cancer cells. In an interview with The Rheumatologist, Dr. Rosen explores the meaning of this finding and its potential…
(Reuters Health)—Patients who order direct-to-consumer genetic tests report mixed experiences when they take the results to their doctors, a new study found. About a quarter of people who ordered direct-to-consumer genetic testing from such companies as 23andMe reported discussing the results with their primary care doctors. But nearly one in five were not at all…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The oral Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Pfizer) shows long-term efficacy against chronic plaque psoriasis, according to findings from two randomized studies and an extension trial. The outcome, Dr. Svitlana Tatulych told Reuters Health by email, “demonstrated that oral tofacitinib, at both the 10 mg and 5 mg twice-daily doses, provided sustained…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Murine and other studies suggest that titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, widely used as food additives and in drug formulations, may be involved in intestinal inflammation, according to Swiss researchers. As Dr. Gerhard Rogler told Reuters Health by email, “It seems that titanium dioxide nanoparticles are not harmful for a healthy person with…
(Reuters)—The American Hospital Association warned U.S. antitrust regulators that Anthem Inc.’s proposed acquisition of Cigna Corp. will hurt other health insurers’ ability to compete with Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, leading to higher premiums for consumers. Anthem, the country’s second-largest health insurer, runs Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in 14 states. The hospital group, in…