News

In this Q&A, Dr. Roy Fleischmann, the primary investigator for the phase three clinical trial of upadacitinib (Rinvoq, AbbVie), compares the new rheumatoid arthritis treatment to other treatments. 

Triple therapy and methotrexate‐based biologic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) combinations were superior to methotrexate alone for both American College of Rheumatology (ACR50) response and remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, say researchers writing in Arthritis Research & Therapy last month.

Anifrolumab, a potential new for lupus, just successfully completed a phase three clinical trial in which patients demonstrated reduced disease activity by significant margins, according to a statement issued by the drug’s maker AstraZeneca.

Lilly has announced that it received FDA approval for Taltz (ixekizumab) for the treatment of active ankylosing spondylitis (radiographic axial spondyloarthritis).

This week, the British medical journal The Lancet, launched a new journal that focuses strictly on rheumatology. Aptly called "The Lancet Rheumatology,"  the journal's mission is to "provide an independent voice to the rheumatology community and to the millions of patients living with these conditions."

Aryeh M. Abeles, M.D., talks with Rheumatology Network about the FDA's black box label for febuxostat, a gout treatment which, according to the results of one clinical trial, was shown to be associated with an increased risk of mortality. In this Q&A, Dr. Abeles, says the decision was based on flawed data. 

Nonadherence to a medication regimen is a problem in all of medicine, not just rheumatology. About 50 percent of all medications for chronic diseases are not taken as prescribed. Put another way, about two in every three Americans who have regular prescriptions aren’t taking them or aren’t taking them on schedule.

September is more than back to school and the arrival of pumpkin-spice-flavored everything. It is also Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month, a national effort created by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 2016 to bring attention to the more than 100 conditions that fall under the umbrella of rheumatic disease.

Patients diagnosed with gout at age 40 or younger may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and recurrent gout compared to those diagnosed later in life, according to a new study published in ACR Open Rheumatology.

Roughly half of patients who undergo total knee replacement subsequently experience musculoskeletal symptoms in previously unaffected bodily areas, researchers reported in ACR Open Rheumatology.

The new approval represents the third time the FDA approved the injection treatments for adults.

A missed diagnosis can have negative consequences for patients, making it critical for providers to have a better understanding of vasculitis and its related syndromes. In a presentation given at the Rheumatology Nurses Society annual meeting earlier this month, Jeffrey Kaine, M.D., an independent rheumatology consultant based in Cullowhee, N.C., discussed the challenges in diagnosing and treating vasculitis. In this Q&A, Dr. Kaine covers some of the high points from his talk.

Routine daily activities may be impossible for some arthritis patients, but are they really? This study suggests patients have not been offered evidence-based interventions that could improve quality of life.

The JAK inhibitor previously approved for rheumatoid arthritis has reported early primary endpoint outcomes in its ongoing phase 3 trial.

A new set of guidelines has been released by the American College of Rheumatology, Spondylitis Association of America and the Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network are offering guidance to physicians on treating axial spondyloarthritis.

Children with active rheumatic disease exposed to multiple biological drugs should be monitored for hypersensitivity reactions, particularly during intravenous infusions, say researchers writing in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology this month

The Rheumatology Nurses Society met this month for their annual meeting. In this Q&A, we revisit a talk by Monica Richey, MSN, a rheumatology nurse practitioner with Northwell Health in New York who discusses treatment challenges in lupus.

An Indian-made biosimilar to adalimumab has been shown to be safe and effective for up to 24 weeks in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, say researchers writing in ACR Open Rheumatology this month.

Women with rheumatoid arthritis are concerned with pregnancy and parenting issues and require more information from their doctors, say researchers writing in ACR Open Rheumatology this month.

AbbVie announced on Friday that the Food and Drug Administration approved the oral once-daily JAK inhibitor Rinvoq (upadacitinib) for adults with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to methotrexate.

The JAK inhibitor from AbbVie has shown significant benefit for RA patients over 2 weeks of treatment.

The JAK inhibitor could receive consideration as a rheumatoid arthritis therapy in both Europe and the US in the following year.

Both TNF inhibitors and non-TNFi biologic DMARDs increase the risk of serious infection in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to conventional synthetic DMARDs. Despite the risk, the treatments are effective in reducing disease activity, researchers report.

One of the most common topics among healthcare providers and patients is the growing conversation around medical marijuana and CBD oils, particularly, it’s potential to alleviate pain and improve quality of life. In this Q&A, Nancy Delnay, a pediatric nurse practitioner with Akron Children’s Hospital, discussed the state of medical marijuana and CBD oils.

The jury is still out on whether vitamin D supplementation can prevent and improve knee osteoarthritis, according to a review published in ACR Open Rheumatology. 

Adults with rapid onset knee osteoarthritis that occurs and progressess within as little as four years, are more likely to receive pharmacological treatments or even surgery than those who live with the condition long-term.

The JAK1 inhibitor filgotinib has been shown to be effective in rheumatoid arthritis patients who failed previous treatment with one or more biologic DMARD.

A study published in JAMA Ophthalmology shows that giant cell arteritis affects black and white patients equally, despite previous reports that suggest the condition is relatively rare in black patients.

Modern pharmacologic therapies for rheumatoid arthritisare effective in controlling inflammation and preventing bone erosions however, a multitude of factors are likely to blame for ongoing bone loss in rheumatoid arthritis.

Temporal artery biopsy is a useful test for diagnosing giant cell arteritis but may miss some cases, research shows.