ACR Convergence 2025| Video: Rheum for Everyone, Episode 26—Ableism

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

Drug Updates

Subcategories:AnalgesicsBiologics/DMARDs

Express Scripts Tries to Rein in Pricey Inflammatory Drugs

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—Express Scripts Holding, the largest manager of U.S. drug benefits, on Thursday launched a program aimed at tightening spending on drugs for pricey inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. It is the latest Express Scripts effort intended to reduce spending on prescription drugs, such as last week’s announcement of a diabetes program. Early…

Research on Ixekizumab in Psoriatic Arthritis and More Presented at EULAR 2016

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LONDON—Results from the extension phase of a Phase 3 trial for the IL-17A inhibitor ixekizumab in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) show that patients started on placebo, adalimumab and ixekizumab continued to show improvements in arthritis, dactylitis and ethesitis, said Philip Mease, MD, a rheumatologist at Swedish Medical Center University of Washington in Seattle.1 Dr. Mease presented the…

Rheumatology Drug Updates: Ixekizumab Improves Work Productivity, plus Vobarilizumab Completes Phase 2 Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Ixekizumab Improves Work Productivity in Patients with Plaque Psoriasis Indirect costs of reduced work productivity can have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life. A recent article published in JAMA Dermatology analyzed the results of three multicenter, randomized double-blind Phase 3 trials, UNCOVER-1, UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3, which evaluated the effect of ixekizumab on…

New Research into Rheumatoid Arthritis, Gout Includes Updates on Methotrexate, Biologics, Ultrasound

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LONDON—From optimizing responses to methotrexate, to the efficacy of biologics, to the need for imaging in assessing remission, the literature, as ever, has been lively with explorations of pressing topics in the treatment and management of rheumatoid arthritis. Josef Smolen, MD, chair of rheumatology at the Medical University of Vienna, reviewed many of the highlights…

Potential Benefits, Pitfalls of Biosimilars Reviewed at EULAR 2016

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LONDON—The availability of a bio­similar form of infliximab has dramatically increased the number of Norwegians taking one form or another of the drug, an expert on biosimilars said in a debate-style session at the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR 2016). The expanded uptake of Remicade (infliximab) and its biosimilar, Remsima (international…

Possible Impact of Biosimilar Infliximab on U.S. Market in Prescriptions, Pricing

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The use of biosimilars for rheuma­tology in the U.S. became a reality when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb), a biosimilar to Remicade (infliximab), in April. What this may mean is increased competition among drug companies with regard to pricing and, therefore, potentially lower costs for U.S. patients, according to Seoyoung…

Understanding Prescription Pathways for Biologic Medication Therapy

Andrew Hochradel, PharmD, & the ARHP Practice Committee  |  

Executing evidence-based medicine in the U.S. is challenging, especially utilizing high-cost medications in rheumatologic care. As patients trust their clinicians to be their medical experts, clinicians must trust their care team members to be experts at implementing the care plan. A clinician’s knowledge of human anatomy and physiology is the foundation to understanding pathophysiology. From…

Blacks, Asians at Higher Risk for Allopurinol-Related Skin Reactions

Deborah Levenson  |  

Be careful when prescribing allo­purinol to black and Asian gout patients, a study newly advises. Black and Asian patients who take this ubiquitous, more-than-40-year-old medication are at much higher risk of certain serious skin reactions than are Caucasians or Hispanics. Compared with Caucasians, blacks who take allopurinol to lower blood urate levels have an increased…