San Francisco is known for the Gold Rush, so it’s a particularly fitting place to collect a gold nugget. And so at the 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in the Golden Gate City in November, the ACR and the ARHP honored a group of distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research, education and…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly develop skin lesions related to anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) medications, according to a retrospective study. “We were most surprised by the relatively high percentage (30%) of patients developing skin problems while being treated with anti-TNF agents,” Dr. Isabelle Cleynen from KU Leuven, Belgium, tells Reuters…
In multiple clinical studies, investigational biosimilars for etanercept were shown to be safe and effective for treating rheumatoid arthritis and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis…
(Reuters)—Amgen Inc. on Wednesday said it filed with U.S. health regulators seeking approval to sell its first biosimilar drug, which would be a less expensive alternative to AbbVie’s Humira (adalimumab), the world’s top-selling prescription medicine. Amgen said its drug, ABP 501, has demonstrated clinical equivalence and comparable safety to Humira in late stage clinical trials…
Brentuximab Vedotin Enters Phase 2 Trials Brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed at CD30, is currently entering Phase 2 clinical trials for treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).1 The ADC encompasses an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody, which is attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule-disrupting agent, known as monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). The ADC…
(Reuters)—Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara (ustekinumab) was significantly better than placebo at inducing clinical response and remissions in patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease, according to data from a late stage trial, providing ammunition for a potential expanded approval of the medicine. Stelara, a biotech medicine that blocks inflammation, is approved to treat plaque psoriasis…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The human IgG1 anti-TNF antibody adalimumab is safe and effective for short- and long-term treatment, and the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus given short-term brings remission, in patients with refractory ulcerative colitis, according to two new studies in the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis. In the first study, online Sept. 21, Dr. Tamas Molnar…
(Reuters)—U.S. health regulators declined to approve Pfizer Inc’s oral rheumatoid arthritis drug Xeljanz (tofacitinib) to treat moderate to severe cases of plaque psoriasis, the drugmaker said on Wednesday. Pfizer said it received a complete response letter from the Food and Drug Administration. Such letters typically outline concerns and conditions that must be addressed in order…
For the past 16 years, the website, creakyjoints.org, founded by arthritis patient Seth Ginsberg and social entrepreneur Louis Tharp, has offered arthritis patients and their families a safe online community where they can receive meaningful support and education. In March, the online portal added a new initiative—Arthritis Power, the first-ever patient-led, patient-generated, app-based research registry…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has toughened the existing warnings for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) due to their stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) risk increase.1 Due to a continual review of these products, FDA is requiring label updates for all prescription NSAIDs. Over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs already list the increased risk of MI and…