The outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is disrupting patient care all over the world. In the U.S., many providers have had to adapt to new social distancing measures to care for patients, but struggles remain. Mark J. Sinnett, PharmD, FASHP, director of clinical and educational pharmacy services and director of the Center for Pharmacotherapy Research…
Social distancing and telemedicine are creating unique challenges for pediatric rheumatologists to care for their patients—many of whom are 5 years old or younger. Sangeeta Sule, MD, PhD, discusses how her clinic is adapting…
(Reuters)—On April 27, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi SA said on Monday that their arthritis drug sarilumab (Kevzara) may only help the sickest patients with COVID-19, dampening hopes that the therapy could potentially reach a larger pool of patients with the disease. The drugmakers said they would test high doses of sarilumab only in critically…
Two rheumatologists offer advice on patient management during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How are COVID-19 and physical distancing restrictions at work affecting rheumatology professionals? The Rheumatologist interviewed clinical pharmacist Wendy Ramey, BSPharm, RPh, CSP, to discuss how the pandemic has changed the way her staff supports rheumatologists at the University of Kentucky Specialty Pharmacy and Infusion Services, Lexington. Ms. Ramey describes how these unprecedented times affect patients,…
In March 2020, an elderly married couple living on Long Island, N.Y., presented to our emergency department with symptoms suspicious for COVID-19 infection. The wife, a-76-year-old woman, presented with complaints of subjective fevers, minimal dry cough and headaches of one-week duration. She denied having any chills, rhinorrhea, diarrhea, abdominal pain or shortness of breath. Two…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—For young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who don’t achieve disease control, switching to a different class of biologic is unlikely to be beneficial, researchers say. The observational study yielded no evidence to support or refute the 2015 National Health Service England guidelines, which recommend switching most patients to a second…
March 23 (Reuters)—Roche Holding AG said on Monday it has received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration‘s clearance to test its rheumatoid arthritis treatment on patients hospitalized with severe pneumonia caused by the coronavirus. The company said it was beginning a late-stage study to test the drug in what would be the first well-controlled study…
A study investigating sarilumab’s effects on patients with COVID-19 has begun in New York. The treatment blocks IL-6, which may play a role in the respiratory distress caused by the virus…
On Dec. 30, 2019, an ophthalmologist named Li Wenliang notified his colleagues about an illness that was reminiscent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in a city in the Hubei province of China called Wuhan. As an ophthalmologist, this was not directly relevant to his practice; he merely wanted to warn colleagues that they might…