A great deal of progress has been made in the treatment of rheumatic diseases—from glucocorticoid use to the advent of biologic therapies. Gerd Burmester, MD, discussed this progress and the impact of biologics in this year’s Phillip Hench, MD, Memorial Lecture.
In case you missed it, on Nov. 20, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a department within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced that it will overhaul the payment system for Medicare Part B (i.e., infusion) drugs on Jan. 1, 2021. The plan is called the Most Favored Nation (MFN)…
ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—In many ways, the current plethora of treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis patients represents an embarrassment of riches. However, while many therapeutics approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) are available, knowing the order in which to try these medications with patients can be quite challenging. In The Great Debate, held…
As his term as chair of the Affiliate Society Council draws to a close, Chris Adams, MD, FACP, FACR, reflects on the personal and professional rewards of volunteer leadership and the importance and impact of coordinated state-level advocacy efforts for the future of rheumatology.
LONDON (Reuters)—Oxford University said on Wednesday it will study whether the prescription medicine, adalimumab (Humira), is an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients—the latest effort to repurpose existing drugs as potential coronavirus therapies. Adalimumab, which is sold by AbbVie, is a type of anti-inflammatory known as an anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drug. Recent studies have shown…
(Reuters Health)—Only 19 U.S. states mandate that pharmacists fill prescriptions for brand-name small molecule drugs with generics when available, with the 31 remaining states allowing but not requiring these substitutions, a new study finds. Researchers examined laws on the books as of September 2019 pertaining to generic substitution of small molecule drugs, as well as…
At the Loma Linda University Medical Center, Calif., rheumatologists play a key consulting role for COVID-19 patients who may benefit from the use of biologic treatments…
As state rheumatology societies go, the Nebraska Rheumatology Society (NRS) is one of the new kids on the block. Established two years ago, the NRS hopes to involve all 27 rheumatologists across the state. Marcus Snow, MD, a rheumatologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, says the state’s rheumatologists are spread across…
SNOWMASS VILLAGE, COLO.—Current trends in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy are the increased use of newer medication categories, such as Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors (Jakinibs) and biologics, and the rising costs of treatment. Unchanged is the consistent use of methotrexate as an effective therapy. These topics and more were discussed at the ACR Winter Symposium during…
Ever wonder what role physician regulators—rheumatologists, in particular—perform at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)? “I am not sure that many practicing rheumatologists know there are clinicians who work for the FDA,” says rheumatologist Nadia Habal, MD, a medical officer in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Rheumatology Products at the FDA. “It would…