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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

ACR Commends CMS Decision to Withdraw Most Favored Nation Payment Model for Part B Drugs

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ATLANTA—The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today applauded the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to withdraw a proposed rule to implement the “Most Favored Nation” (MFN) payment model for Part B drugs. Leaders felt the policy would have dramatically disrupted patient access to critical therapies needed to manage rheumatic diseases and…

The Story of the N95 Mask

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On Dec. 17, 1903, at 10:35 a.m., the restraining wire was released. The Wright brothers—Orville and Wilbur—owned a bicycle sales and repair shop called the Wright Cycle Exchange, in Dayton, Ohio. At the time, the popularity of bicycles was exploding, thanks to an innovation that made them much easier (and safer) to ride. The money…

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FDA’s Arthritis Advisory Committee Narrowly Endorses Avacopan Approval

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On May 6, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Arthritis Advisory Committee narrowly voted in support of avacopan, a C5a receptor inhibitor, for the treatment of adult patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis. Although the panelists were excited about the possibility of a steroid-sparing therapy, some raised questions about whether results from…

Colchicine: An Ancient Drug with Modern Uses

Ibrahem Salloum, MD, & Deepan S. Dalal, MD, MPH  |  

Discovered more than 3,000 years ago, colchicine is one of the oldest drugs still in use today. Like most old remedies, colchicine is a chemical substance found in many plants, most notably in colchicum autumnale, known as wild saffron or autumn crocus. It was mentioned in the oldest Egyptian medical text, Ebers Papyrus (circa 1550…

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring May Offer Little Benefit to Patient Remission Rates During Infliximab Induction Therapy

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Although rheumatologists prescribe tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi’s) to treat several rheumatic diseases, they recognize immunogenicity influences the efficacy and safety of TNFi’s. Example: The formation of anti-drug antibodies can affect infusion reactions and cause low-serum drug levels and therapeutic failure. The induction phase is a period of high incidence of immunogenicity, and observational data…

Advocate at Home During the August Recess

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With lawmakers home for the summer recess, you have the opportunity to meet with them in their local offices and help them understand how key legislation affects patients and healthcare providers. The ACR offers tools, resources and more to help.