Recent research has helped further define genetic heritability for pediatric autoimmune diseases. In an interview, Dr. Hakon Hakanarson discusses how understanding common genetic factors can help develop risk prediction and treatments for such diseases as juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus and celiac disease…
An etanercept biosimilar referencing Enbrel and designed to treat multiple autoimmune diseases has been approved for the European market. Also, an application for subcutaneous brodalumab to treat plaque psoriasis has been submitted to the FDA…
(Reuters)—CVS Health Corp said it would make naloxone, available without a prescription at all its pharmacies across Ohio, a state with one of the highest rates of overdose-related deaths. Naloxone is already available without a prescription in CVS Health stores in more than a dozen states. Drug overdoses increased 6.5% in 2014 from a year…
(Reuters)—A federal appeals court ruled Monday that four patents related to Purdue Pharma’s painkiller OxyContin are invalid, potentially bringing Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and others a step closer to introducing generic versions of the drug. Privately owned, Connecticut-based Purdue had sued Teva, Amneal Pharmaceuticals and Epic Pharma after they sought approval from the U.S. Food…
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters)—A decision by Turing Pharmaceuticals to raise the price of a lifesaving drug by 5,000% drove up some patient co-pays to as high as $16,000, according to excerpts of documents that congressional committee members released on Tuesday. The excerpts, which are highlighted in memos released by Democrats on the powerful U.S. House of…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Apremilast improves clinical outcomes in patients with psoriatic arthritis and active psoriasis, according to results from the PALACE 3 randomized controlled trial. Apremilast, a phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor, showed efficacy against psoriatic arthritis in the PALACE 1 trial. Dr. Christopher J. Edwards from University Hospital Southampton in the U.K. and colleagues evaluated…
Enthesitis is a central feature of spondyloarthritis (SpA). This review article summarizes the substantial progress that has been made in addressing the pathophysiology, molecular mechanisms, genetic associations, clinical features, diagnostic modalities and treatment of enthesitis. Further examination into the role of the inflammatory mediators, including IL-17, IL-22, and IL-23 as well as potentially others, in driving enthesitis and bone formation will be important to direct our attention toward future therapeutic targeted pathways in patients with SpA…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The newer disease-modifying drugs for rheumatoid arthritis appear to offer the same or even better cardiovascular (CV) protection than older tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, hints a large study. “We really haven’t had a good understanding on where the non-TNF biologics and CV risk stand,” Dr. Jeffrey R. Curtis of the University…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with an inadequate response to methotrexate, adding tocilizumab to the regimen is more effective than simply switching to tocilizumab, according to Japanese researchers. Dr. Tsutomu Takeuchi told Reuters Health by email that the approach “more rapidly suppressed inflammation than tocilizumab switched from methotrexate, leading to superior clinical…
(Reuters)—Deficient practices at a lab operated by blood-testing startup Theranos pose “immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety,” the U.S. government’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said in a letter to the company released on Wednesday. Theranos, founded and led by Elizabeth Holmes, has been in the spotlight after reports in the Wall Street…