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

The Effect of Tofacitinib on Live Vaccine Responses

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New research indicates that vaccination for the herpes zoster virus in patients with rheumatoid arthritis starting tofacitinib appears to be both safe and useful. Rheumatologists may want to check the patient’s pre-existing immunity status prior to administering the vaccine…

Cholesterol Levels in Patients with RA Starting Methotrexate

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Although research regarding the increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has burgeoned in recent years, the need remains for a better understanding of the effects of widely used DMARDs on CV risk and risk factors in RA patients. These authors set out to evaluate the long-term changes in cholesterol levels in patients with early RA. Decreases in RA disease activity over long-term follow-up were associated with increases in cholesterol levels in patients with early RA treated with either biologic or nonbiologic therapies…

Verily, Vanderbilt to Test Enrollment in U.S. Precision Medicine Pilot

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—The National Institutes of Health on Thursday named Verily, formerly Google Life Sciences, as advisor to Nashville’s Vanderbilt University in a pilot program to launch the Precision Medicine Initiative outlined by President Barack Obama last year. The program aims to enroll 79,000 volunteer participants by the end of this year to supply personal data that…

U.S. Senate Moves Closer to Confirming Califf to Lead FDA

Toni Clarke  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. Senate on Monday moved closer to confirming Dr. Robert Califf to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, overriding opposition from several senators who had sought to block a vote on the issue. In a procedural move designed to prevent the opponents from blocking the confirmation indefinitely, the Senate voted 80 to…

Hidradenitis Suppurativa Tied to Higher Mortality

David Douglas  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes and all-cause mortality, according to Danish researchers. HS is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease and is most common in women. It is typically diagnosed after long delays, Dr. Alexander Egeberg of the University of Copenhagen and colleagues…

U.S. & EU Regulators Urge Indian Drug Companies to Step Up Standards

Zeba Siddiqui  |  

MUMBAI (Reuters)—U.S. and EU drug regulators called upon India’s pharmaceutical sector on Tuesday to step up efforts to improve manufacturing standards and ensure the reliability of data if it is to maintain its dominance in the generic drugs industry. India’s $15 billion pharmaceutical industry, an increasingly important global supplier of cheaper generic medicines, has been…

Amgen, UCB Say Osteoporosis Drug Meets Main Goal in Late-Stage Trial

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—Amgen Inc. and Belgium-based UCB SA said on Monday that their osteoporosis drug met all the primary endpoints by reducing the incidence of new vertebral fracture in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in a late-stage study. The topline results, from a Fracture study in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis (FRAME), showed that the drug romosozumab met a…

Dermatology & Immunology: Skin Issues Can Present Challenges

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SAN FRANCISCO—A 40-year-old woman shows up in the clinic with scarring alopecia, with an area of hyperpigmentation on the rim of her scalp, extending from just behind the temple to behind her ears. An examination with a dermatoscope shows hyperkeratotic follicular plugging. The case—in this example, the discoid form of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (DLE)—is one…