Checking blood levels of commonly used disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has gained widespread attention in the rheumatology community, even resulting in a recent guidance document from EULAR for biologics.1 Although a highly useful tool, drug level measurement in rheumatology is not without challenges; many of our drugs violate the basic principles of pharmacology that we…
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often face many concerns, fears and uncertainties that render “treatment decision making very difficult,” says Jasvinder Singh, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Often these patients, who tend to be women from minority groups, “do not have access to easily understandable…
Experts described the latest breakthroughs related to lupus and the brain, including the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to gain insights into brain fog. Research into the role of microglia in neuropsychiatric lupus is also described.
Through a project to reduce gaps and inequities in lupus care and treatment, ACR work groups have developed five quality measures focused on clinical and patient-reported outcomes and are integrating them into the RISE registry to support patient care and research.
In this ACR Convergence 2023 session, experts offered guidance on a selection of diagnostic & treatment challenges rheumatologists may encounter.
Georg Schett, MD, presented the latest research into CAR T cell therapy for rheumatic diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus & other conditions. These findings demonstrate remarkable and durable efficacy for the treatment, as well as the potential for disease remission in some patients.
Small fiber neuropathy is a common form of peripheral neuropathy with multiple potential etiologies and a varied clinical presentation. It can’t be detected by nerve conduction studies, making it an elusive and often overlooked entity. Small fiber neuropathy is well documented in several rheumatic diseases, and its symptom burden can profoundly affect quality of life….
AURORA 2, a double-blind, phase 3 study, evaluated the long-term safety, tolerability and efficacy of voclosporin compared to placebo in patients with lupus nephritis receiving an additional two years of treatment following completion of the one-year AURORA 1 study. Patients enrolled in AURORA 2 continued to receive the same treatment randomly assigned in AURORA 1, in combination with mycophenolate mofetil and low-dose glucocorticoids. Saxena et al. propose that the rapid renal response achieved with voclosporin treatment has long-term benefits, supported by stable kidney function over the three-year treatment period.
An array of new and expanded indications of therapeutics for rheumatic disease last year relied on pharmacokinetic modeling for intravenous dosing and efficacy extrapolation for pediatric populations.
SAN DIEGO—The Autoimmunity Centers of Excellence (ACE) are a cooperative group funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) that conduct basic and clinical research on autoimmune diseases.1 ACEs focus on treatment and prevention strategies that induce immune tolerance or modulate the immune system. The goal is to facilitate collaboration across clinicians…