Search results for: methotrexate

RA Treatments Show Mixed Results

Thomas R. Collins | July 13, 2017

Highlights from the 2017 EULAR Congress MADRID—The anti-IL6 “nanobody,” vobarilizumab, produced mixed results when used with methotrexate (MTX), compared with MTX and placebo, according to results of a 24-week, double-blind Phase 2b study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which were presented in an abstract session at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR). The…

Vitamin D May Improve Outcomes for Patients with Early RA

Lara C. Pullen, PhD | July 10, 2017

A recent study examined the differences in T helper cell subtypes and osteoclast precursors between patients with early RA and healthy controls. Researchers found that standard treatment combined with a single dose of cholecalcipherol may better improve the general health of patients…

News Updates for Diclofenac Sodium, Denosumab & Sarilumab

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP | June 20, 2017

In drug news, a generic 2% diclofenac sodium solution is now available, denosumab is promising to treat osteoporosis, and the FDA has approved sarilumab to treat adults with RA…

FDA Responds to New Drug Application for Baricitinib

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP | June 15, 2017

Oxycodone Tablets Submitted to FDA Filings for oxycodone tablets (Oxaydo) in both 10 and 15 mg doses have been accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).1 The submission is based on a pharmacokinetic study demonstrating bioequivalence to the reference drug, oxycodone hydrochloride (Roxicodone) tablets at a 15 mg dose. The product is an…

Clinical Guidelines for Sjögren’s Syndrome Focus on Biologics, Fatigue, Inflammatory Musculoskeletal Pain

Kurt Ullman | June 15, 2017

The first clinical practice guidelines for Sjögren’s syndrome have been released, the culmination of an initiative by the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation.1 These standard-of-care recommendations are intended to provide consistency in practice patterns, inform coverage and reimbursement policies, lead to the design and implementation of educational programs, highlight the needs for future research and fill a…

The Birth and Growth of Biotechnology, and the Impact of Biologic Drugs on Rheumatology

Simon M. Helfgott, MD | June 15, 2017

Here’s a trivia question: Where were the big ideas for the field of biotechnology first discussed? Answer: At a since-demolished delicatessen in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. Go figure. The year was 1972, and Stanley Cohen, MD, professor of medicine at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., and Herbert Boyer, PhD, a former professor and biochemist at the…

Rheumatologists Treating Patients with HIV Face Treatment, Diagnostic Challenges

Ruth Jessen Hickman, MD | June 15, 2017

Rheumatologists treating HIV patients in 2017 must think through many important factors as this population ages. As we continue to learn, rheumatologists must consider important drug–drug interactions, relatively uncommon rheumatological presentations of HIV, as well as specific diagnostic challenges. Working closely with infectious disease specialists is the best way to achieve optimum care for this…

Prospects for Treating Patients with Arthritis in African Countries with Few Rheumatologists

Elizabeth Hofheinz, MPH, MEd | June 14, 2017

At present, the U.S. has approximately 5,000 full-time adult rheumatologists. By the year 2025, that number will decline to roughly 3,600.1 Sounds dire, right? Hold that thought. Question: What country has 99 million people and no adult rheumatologists? Answer: Ethiopia.2 The Nigerian Story And then there is Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, with roughly 170…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Question: Infusion Services for Skilled Nursing Facility Patient

From the College | June 13, 2017

An 83-year-old established female patient who resides in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) and is diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis with rheumatoid factor in multiple joints returns to the office for her first infliximab infusion. She denies fevers, cough, dyspnea or concurrent illness, but has joint pain and swelling in both elbows and her left wrist….

IBD Treatments Don’t Seem to Raise Extracolonic Cancer Risk

Reuters Staff | June 8, 2017

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Immunosuppressants and anti-TNF drugs do not appear to increase the risk of extracolonic cancers in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), researchers from Spain report. IBD patients face an increased risk of colon cancer, and some studies have suggested there might be an increased risk of extracolonic cancer. Dr. Maria Chaparro from…