LONDON (Reuters)—Britain’s competition watchdog has accused Merck & Co of operating an unfair discount scheme for its medicine Remicade (infliximab) that it said was designed to restrict competition from so-called biosimilar copies. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says it had provisionally found the U.S. company’s European unit, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), had abused…
Infliximab-abda Becomes 5th Biosimilar Approved in the U.S. & Abaloparatide Approved for Osteoporosis
The FDA has approved infliximab-abda, a biosimilar for treating multiple rheumatic diseases, as well as abaloparatide for treating postmenopausal women with osteoporosis…
Johnson & Johnson Discloses U.S. Probe Related to Arthritis Drugs
(Reuters) – Healthcare conglomerate Johnson & Johnson said on Monday the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened an investigation concerning management and advisory services provided to rheumatology and gastroenterology practices that bought two of its drugs. The U.S. healthcare company said its Janssen Biotech Inc. unit received a civil investigative demand from the DOJ…
Rheumatology Coding Corner Question: Billing Infusion Procedure with JW Modifier
An 82-year-old female established patient diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in multiple joints returns to the office for her second infliximab infusion. She denies any fevers, cough or concurrent illness. Her joint pain is 7 on a scale of 1–10. She complains of achy pain in the cervical, lumbar and sacral regions of her spine. She…
Rheumatology Coding Corner Answer: Billing Infusion Procedure with JW Modifier
Take the challenge. CPT: 99214-25, 96413, 96375, 96361-59, J1745 x 4 J1745 JW* x 36, J1200 x1 ICD-10: M45.09, T50.995A, R06.02, E66.3, Z68.2 Rationale Modifier 25 is appropriate to use because it indicates the patient received a significant, separately identifiable E/M service on the same day as the infliximab infusion. This E/M service entailed the…
High Cost of Rheumatoid Arthritis Medications Burdens Patients in Saudi Arabia
In the past 15 years, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has posed an economic burden on patients in Saudi Arabia due to the high cost of the medications used to treat the condition. As a rheumatology consultant, I’ve observed the economic impact on patients in one clinic in a private hospital in Riyadh. RA is a chronic,…
Infliximab Use Not Tied to Malignancy in Pediatric IBD
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Immunosuppressive therapy with infliximab (Remicade) for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in pediatric patients is not associated with increased risk of malignancy or hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), according to a Janssen study. Dr. Jeffrey S. Hyams, who worked on the study, calls the finding “reassuring.” He adds in an email to Reuters Health, “our…
Switch to Biosimilar Infliximab for IBD Slashes Drug Costs
NEW YORK—Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients can be safely switched from originator infliximab to biosimilar infliximab using a managed-switching program, U.K. research shows. “Thus far, there does not appear to be any significant difference between the two infliximab products in terms of drug persistence, side effects, adverse reactions, disease activity, or blood tests, but ongoing…
New Test Yields Rapid Infliximab Drug Concentrations
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A new test provides rapid infliximab drug concentrations that enable immediate dosing adjustments, researchers from Belgium report. “With this rapid test, our biggest wish is to persuade physicians to now perform and use infliximab measurements also in their own daily clinical practice, as many practical and organizational issues that went along with…
Reinitiating TNF Blockers after Tuberculosis Treatment
A retrospective study showed that patients who have rheumatic disease and develop tuberculosis may be able to resume anti-TNF therapy and other biologic agents…
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