A recent gene expression analysis found an enriched downstream interferon signature, with predominantly IFNB1 signatures in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. The study also found lower expression of all downstream interferon signatures in the kidneys of lupus nephritis patients…
(Reuters)—A U.S. judge on Friday upheld two patents relating to Amgen Inc,’s blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug Enbrel (etanercept), denying a challenge by Novartis AG, which is seeking to launch a biosimilar version. The decision was a relief to investors concerned about a competitive threat to Enbrel, which had U.S. sales of $4.8 billion last year….
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Professional coaching can improve the well-being and reduce the distress of physicians, researchers have found. “With over 40% of physicians having substantial symptoms of burnout, professional coaching is one strategy that should be offered to help them recover,” Liselotte N. Dyrbye, MD, MHPE, from Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Mn., tells Reuters Health by…
(Reuters Health)—Many patients who receive assistance from charities set up to defray prescription drugs costs may already have insurance that covers most the cost for their medications, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined data on the six largest independent charities offering patient assistance programs through 274 different disease-specific programs. These programs had total revenue ranging…
(Reuters Health)—Researchers who examined implicit and explicit gender biases in the U.S. medical community found professionals of both genders are more likely to associate the word career with men and the word family with women. And U.S. surgeons broadly see surgery as a man’s career and family medicine as a woman’s field, the researchers also…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is more effective than treatment as usual for improving function and other outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia, according to a new randomized trial. MBSR is an extension of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intended to help patients change the way they experience symptoms, Dr. Albert Feliu-Soler of the Institut de…
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common autoimmune diseases. One hypothesis is that inflammation in the respiratory tract results in autoantibody formation that later leads to disease. Kronzer et al. set out to narrow the knowledge gaps related to the oral-respiratory factors that may mediate RA pathogenesis.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flares may arise from lymphoid and myeloid mechanisms, which may overlap in some patients. In a recent study, researchers compared SLE patients who flared early after treatment to those who did not, unveiling variables that may serve as independent predictors of SLE flares…
Recent research found that RA patients who began treatment with baricitinib experienced greater improvement from baseline than patients who began treatment with methotrexate…
With her combined expertise in rheumatology and informatics, Dr. Yazdany is leading the ACR’s Registries and Health Information Technology Committee to create a national health IT infrastructure that advances rheumatology practice.