“When pharmacy benefit managers [PBMs] came into being 30 years ago, they were seen as an important component of the prescription distribution system [because] they could guide benefits and money between the patient, pharmacy and the manufacturer,” says Angus Worthing, MD, president of the Alliance for Transparent & Affordable Prescriptions (ATAP). Health insurance companies hire…
The FDA has approved tocilizumab-aazg (Tyenne), the first tocilizumab biosimilar, for treating rheumatic diseases, as well as the new drug application for CB-101, a chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy, for treating lupus nephritis and extra-renal lupus.
The FDA has accepted applications for three new indications for bimekizumab-bkzx, a humanized interleukin (IL) 17A and IL-17F antagonist: psoriatic arthritis, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is treatable, and for that, we should be grateful. But wouldn’t it be better if we could prevent it from even happening? Recent data from a study in China demonstrated some interesting results. Could an older type of diabetes medication be the answer we’ve been looking for? Background Preclinical studies have suggested…
The FDA has approved the first interchangeable biosimilars for denosumab.
In a phase 3 trial, treatment with VX-548 led to statistically and clinically significant improvements in pain compared with placebo.
SAN DIEGO—Older adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) comprise two groups: those who have lived with diagnosed RA since an early age (young-onset RA) and those who have new-onset RA diagnosed at an older age (≥65 years), known as late-onset RA or, formerly, as elderly onset RA.1 Individuals with late-onset RA have more acute and systemic…
A proposal for biosimilar use in the 2025 budget would allow substitution of any biosimilar for its reference product without an interchangeable designation. The hope is to increase biosimilar uptake, with the subsequent potential to increase product “competition, access and affordability.”1 In the 2025 budget proposal, the Biden administration noted that the legal distinction between…
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…
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, confusion and concern for immunosuppressed patients grew among rheumatologists and patients alike. Research has helped bridge the knowledge gap, and treatment options for COVID-19 have helped ease concerns.