A phase 3 clinical trial in which researchers treated lupus patients with blisibimod, a biologic treatment that inhibits B cell activating factor (BAFF), did not meet its primary endpoint, but did demonstrate evidence of possible efficacy. Researcher Joan T. Merrill, MD, a member of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) and OMRF professor of medicine…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The interleukin 23 inhibitor guselkumab is associated with more improvement in psoriasis on the scalp, palms and/or soles compared with adalimumab, a new analysis suggests. Andrew Blauvelt, MD, MBA, of Oregon Medical Research Center in Portland conducted a secondary analysis of data from the international VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2 studies, double-blind,…
The FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee has recommended the approval of 2 mg baricitinib (but not in a 4 mg dose) for treating adults with moderate to severe active RA…
In Japan the use of guselkumab to treat erythrodermic, plaque and pustular psoriasis is approved, and anakinra is now indicated for Still’s disease in the E.U…
Initial results from an ongoing trial show that upadacitinib outperforms adalimumab in achieving ACR20 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis…
(Reuters)—AbbVie Inc. on Thursday said it signed a deal with Samsung Bioepis and its joint venture partner Biogen Inc. that would fend off U.S. competition of their biosimilar version to blockbuster drug, adalimumab (Humira), until 2023. This is the second deal AbbVie has signed over the past year as it tries to safeguard patents on Humira,…
In March, the ACR released a white paper designed primarily to help rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals gain an understanding of biosimilars.1 This research-based education piece examines the scientific, economic and prescribing issues related to the use of biosimilars. Now, the ACR has released an update to its official position statement on the use of…
SAN DIEGO—In a presentation on what rheumatology nurses should know in their daily practice about disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Nov. 3–8, Jessica Farrell, PharmD, highlighted the importance of educating and counseling patients about the range of treatments and applications for rheumatologic conditions. Dr. Farrell, a clinical pharmacist at the…
Although six biosimilar agents have now been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for use in rheumatology, scientific, clinical, economic and prescribing questions about the use of biosimilars abound. In fact, at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego, Joseph Huffstutter, MD, a rheumatologist in private practice in Chattanooga, Tenn., said that…
The FDA recently expanded the indications for ferumoxytol injections to include the treatment of adults with iron-deficiency anemia…