ACR Convergence 2025| Video: Rheuminations on Milestones & Ageism

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

Drug Updates

Subcategories:AnalgesicsBiologics/DMARDs

Pfizer’s Second Biosimilar of J&J’s Remicade Wins U.S. FDA Approval

Tamara Mathias  |  

(Reuters)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer Inc’s second biosimilar to Johnson & Johnson’s blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug, Remicade, the company said on Wednesday. Pfizer’s Ixifi was approved for all eligible indications of Remicade, including the treatment of bowel disease Crohn’s disease and skin disorder plaque psoriasis, the drugmaker said. Biosimilars are medicines deemed…

Vitamin D-Metabolite Ratio Predicts Fracture Risk Better than 25(OH)D

Anne Harding  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Vitamin D-metabolite ratio (VMR) may be a better marker of bone health than 25(OH)D (25-hydroxyvitamin D), a new study suggests. “The parameter that’s currently used to assess vitamin D status, 25(OH)D, is a flawed measure because it doesn’t consistently associate with important bone outcomes like hip fractures,” Dr. Charles Ginsberg of Veterans…

IV Saline Shortage Update

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Early last month we informed you about the IV saline solution shortage that was exacerbated by Hurricane Maria’s impact on Baxter’s manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico. Since then, the ACR advocacy team has been working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in its ongoing efforts to resolve the fluid shortage. Currently, the FDA has…

Drug Industry Group Sues to Stop California Drug Price Law

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—The trade group representing U.S. drugmakers on Friday said it has a filed a lawsuit to stop California from implementing a law aimed at reining in prescription drug prices. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), in a statement, said it filed litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California…

Opioid Painkiller Prescriptions May Run in Families

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—When one person in a household gets prescribed opioids, the other people who live with them are more likely to get their own prescriptions for these narcotic painkillers, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined data on about 12.6 million people living in a household where someone was prescribed opioids and 6.4 million individuals in…