A recent study details the autoantibodies of patients with myositis, confirming most patients carry these antibodies. The results also describe how myositis-specific autoantibodies can be used to identify distinct clinical subsets of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy…
Using 2007–2016 data from NHANES, a nationally representative survey of American men and women, Chen-Xu et al. set out to estimate the current prevalence rates and decadal trends of gout and hyperuricemia in the U.S.
In August 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it would permit Medicare Advantage plans to use step therapy for Part B drugs, with a lookback period of just 108 days.1 On May 16, 2019, however, the CMS issued a final rule that extends the lookback period for Part B therapies to 365…
This year, the American Medical Association (AMA) convened its annual House of Delegates (HOD) meeting June 8–12 in Chicago to discuss emerging and public health issues. Among the many policies and practices discussed: two resolutions put forth by the ACR on behalf of ACR and ARP members, one concerning prior authorization and another concerning step…
On June 3, Steven C. Echard, IOM, CAE, relocated to Atlanta to begin his new role as executive vice president of the ACR, his third term with the organization over his distinguished career in association management. Since 2014, Mr. Echard has served as chief executive officer of the American Association for the Study of Liver…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Monotherapy with the JAK1-selective inhibitor upadacitinib is effective in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis who have an inadequate response to methotrexate, according to results from the SELECT-MONOTHERAPY phase 3 trial. As many as two-thirds of patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving methotrexate monotherapy fail to achieve satisfactory disease control. Oral therapy with upadacitinib…
The FDA has approved rizankixumab to treat adults with plaque psoriasis and added boxed warnings to sleep medications…
A recent study evaluated the factors associated with the presence of peripheral manifestations of spondyloarthritis (SpA), which affects more than half of patients with SpA. Researchers found that being older, HLAB27 negative and having a history of psoriasis were associated with these symptoms…
TORONTO/MONTREAL (Reuters)—The Canadian province of British Columbia said on May 28 that its public drug plan will switch as many as 20,400 patients from three branded biologic drugs to cheap near-copies called biosimilars, saving an estimated C$96.6 million ($71.9 million) over three years. The new policy from the province’s PharmaCare program targets Johnson & Johnson’s…
The Norman B. Gaylis, MD, Research Award for Rheumatologists in Community Practice is designed to encourage practicing clinicians to conduct their own research for the betterment of patients and rheumatology. The 2019 inaugural honoree is Sou-Pan Wu, MD, who will research gout in the Hmong population in Minnesota…