The 2021–23 Washington budget enables consideration of pediatric rheumatologists for state loan forgiveness programs during the 2019–21 and 2021–23 cycles, making it the first state to include any rheumatologists in its loan forgiveness programs.
In June, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for tocilizumab (Actemra) for treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 adults and children who are receiving systemic corticosteroids and supplemental oxygen. Since this announcement, the tocilizumab manufacturer, Genentech, has not been able to produce enough product to meet the higher demand. The…
Data from a single-center registry shines light on 20 years of trends in first-line, biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug prescriptions for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
(Reuters)—The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is testing a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines in people with autoimmune diseases who have not responded well to the primary vaccine course. The mid-stage study will be conducted among about 600 participants aged 18 and above who have been fully vaccinated with shots from either Pfizer Inc.,…
Rheumatology advocacy added focus and purpose to Dr. Brittan’s medical training and now, in the rheumatology division at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, strengthens her relationships with colleagues and patients alike.
Research has shown voclosporin in combination with MMF and low-dose steroids benefits patients with lupus nephritis, significantly increasing the speed of remission. New data from an ongoing extension study demonstrate a positive risk/benefit profile.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A significant proportion of children with rheumatic diseases develop new-onset hypogammaglobulinemia and infections following treatment with the monoclonal antibody rituximab, according to new U.S. research. “Increased risk appeared to be mediated, at least in part, by exposure to pulse dose corticosteroids,” write Marc Natter, MD, of Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s…
(Reuters)—Europe’s drugs regulator said on Monday it was evaluating the use of Roche’s arthritis drug, tocilizumab, in hospitalized adults with severe COVID-19, its latest review of a potential coronavirus treatment. Tocilizumab, sold by Roche as Actemra and RoActemra, has shown promise in clinical trials in treating COVID-19, and was approved by U.S. health regulators in…
One of the oldest treatment options in rheumatology, colchicine, may be an effective and inexpensive treatment to prevent complications in non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19, particularly in men, according to the results of large global study.