The alarming statistics on prescription opioid overdoses are well known to medical professionals, thanks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s widely cited finding that deaths from opioid analgesics have increased fourfold since 1999.1 Half of all fatal drug overdoses now involve opioids prescribed by a doctor. Meanwhile, a lack of rigorous research…
A new formulation of oxycodone in 10 and 15 mg doses is being reviewed by the FDA for treating pain…
(Reuters Health)—Mindfulness-based stress reduction programs (MSBR) appear to improve low back pain only slightly, and only temporarily, a review of previous research suggests. These programs combine meditation while sitting and walking, yoga, focusing attention on different parts of the body and incorporation of mindfulness/awareness into everyday life. Earlier studies found MBSR to be helpful for…
Guselkumab Improves Active Psoriatic Arthritis New research has revealed that patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ≥3% body area of plaque psoriasis benefit from treatment with a human monoclonal antibody known as guselkumab (GUS). GUS is specific for the p19 subunit of interleukin 23 (IL-23). Patients in the Phase 2 clinical trial experienced significant…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rheumatology researchers look for next-generation treatments, healthy interventions, and genetic and microbial clues to disease pathogenesis and therapy response, according to new studies presented at a Nov. 15, 2016, press conference at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. OA & Physical Function How do you know when a patient with knee osteoarthritis (OA) has the…
Soon, rheumatologists may have another drug to offer their patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RRA) for whom effective and safe treatment remains challenging. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that patients with RRA treated with once-daily baricitinib in a 4 mg dose had a significant clinical improvement in symptoms of…
A study showed that guselkumab may decrease symptoms of psoriatic arthritis and improve quality of life in adult patients…
At the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., in November, the ACR and the ARHP honored a group of distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research, education and patient care. In the November 2016 issue, we reported on the ARHP’s awards. This month, we speak with the ACR winners. Presidential Gold…
It’s estimated that a majority of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been exposed to biologic treatments. However, the randomized controlled trials demonstrating the safety and efficacy of these biologic agents have strict participant eligibility requirements. New research has examined the requirements of 30 trials for biologics and applied those standards to two large clinical cohorts. The result: A majority of these RA patients did not satisfy the criteria…
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…