The FDA has granted a seven-year marketing exclusivity for Octagam 10%, a 10% solution of a human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) that treats adults with dermatomyositis.


The FDA has granted a seven-year marketing exclusivity for Octagam 10%, a 10% solution of a human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) that treats adults with dermatomyositis.

Haseeb Chaudhary, MD, Prem Parajuli, MD, & Devy Setyono, MD |
The incidence of drug-induced lupus continues to rise as clinicians expand their therapeutic armamentarium. An estimated 15,000–30,000 cases of drug-induced lupus occur every year in the U.S. alone.1 It is a well-known, but rare, complication of commonly used medications, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-arrhythmic and anti-epileptic drugs, as well as biologic and immune checkpoint therapies.2,3 The…

One of the oldest treatment options in rheumatology, colchicine, may be an effective and inexpensive treatment to prevent complications in non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19, particularly in men, according to the results of large global study.

Ibrahem Salloum, MD, & Deepan S. Dalal, MD, MPH |
Discovered more than 3,000 years ago, colchicine is one of the oldest drugs still in use today. Like most old remedies, colchicine is a chemical substance found in many plants, most notably in colchicum autumnale, known as wild saffron or autumn crocus. It was mentioned in the oldest Egyptian medical text, Ebers Papyrus (circa 1550…

Vision loss, implications of treatment and more—Sarah Mackie, BMBCh, PhD, MRCP, discussed the latest research on the evaluation and management of giant cell arteritis.

Convex-walking shoes, dietary supplements, advancements in nerve growth factor inhibitors and more—Xavier Chevalier gave an overview and new insights into treatments for osteoarthritis.

In early June, the ACR released an updated guideline on the management of rheumatoid arthritis, which includes new recommendations for specific high-risk groups.1 The guideline includes 44 recommendations—seven of which are strong and 37 conditional. It underscores the role of methotrexate as a cornerstone therapy and emphasizes minimizing glucocorticoids, when possible. Guideline Development Process At…

When rheumatologists think about rheumatoid arthritis (RA), they are apt to picture the synovium, contemplate such antibodies as rheumatoid factor and those to citrullinated proteins, and consider how this interplay of factors manifests in disease. What is not as commonly discussed is the role the autonomic nervous system plays in the pathogenesis and symptomatology of…

Since 1991, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been a staple for the treatment of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus; it has been shown to improve survival, reduce cardiovascular risk, thrombosis and renal damage, delay or prevent lupus cerebritis and more. However, HCQ can potentially bind in the retinal pigment epithelium and cause degeneration of photoreceptors, leading to…

As more people get vaccinated for COVID-19, there’s hope that the long days of a pandemic, which has claimed more than 2.5 million lives globally and 500,000 in the U.S., will soon draw to a close and allow daily life to return to normal. However, for some people, this recovery may take longer, because the…