Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

AbbVie’s Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Succeeds in Late-Stage Trial

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—U.S. drugmaker AbbVie Inc said on Wednesday late-stage data showed its rheumatoid arthritis drug performed better than a placebo in reducing symptoms in moderate-to-severe patients who have not adequately responded to standard treatments. Two doses of the drug, upadacitinib, induced a statistically significant reduction in symptoms compared to a placebo in the 12-week long study,…

Anti-Drug Antibodies May Affect RA Treatment

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A recent study examined the level of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) in RA patients taking the TNF inhibitors adalimumab, infliximab and etanercept. Study patients without ADAs experienced better clinical outcomes, while patients with detectable ADAs had significantly lower serum trough drug concentrations…

U.S. State, Local Government Lawsuits Over Opioids Face Uphill Battle

Nate Raymond  |  

BOSTON (Reuters)—A growing number of U.S. states, counties and cities are filing lawsuits accusing drug companies of deceptively marketing opioid painkillers to downplay their addictiveness, but some lawyers say the industry’s highly regulated nature could pose a hurdle to their success. Ohio on Wednesday became the latest, and largest, state or local government to bring…

Pfizer Hikes U.S. Prices of 91 Drugs by Average 20% in 2017

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—Pfizer Inc. has hiked the price of nearly a hundred drugs by an average of 20 percent so far this year in the U.S., the Financial Times reported on Friday. The U.S. drug maker raised the list price of 91 medicines—including that of its erectile dysfunction treatment, Viagra, and its pain drug, Lyrica—on June 1…

Older Adults May Stave Off Arthritis Knee Pain with Fiber

Anne Harding  |  

(Reuters Health)—Older people who eat the most fiber are at lower risk of developing knee pain and stiffness due to osteoarthritis (OA), new research shows.1 Diets rich in fiber from plant-based foods have clear health benefits, such as lower cholesterol, better-controlled blood sugar and a healthier weight, but most people in the U.S. don’t eat…

Newly Diagnosed SLE Patients Have a Greater Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

New research has examined the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke, for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a large-scale population-based study. Researchers found that patients with SLE have a greater than two-fold increased risk of developing CVD. This risk is greatest during the first year after diagnosis and remains elevated for at least five years…

Ixekizumab Eases Psoriatic Arthritis when TNF Inhibitor Fails

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The selective interleukin-17A inhibitor ixekizumab improved signs and symptoms of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients who had failed prior biologic therapy in the phase 3 SPIRIT-P2 trial. The SPIRIT-P2 trial joins the earlier phase 3 SPIRIT-P1 trial, which showed that ixekizumab was safe and effective in PsA patients not previously treated…

Ohio Sues Five Drug Companies Over Opioid Crisis

Chris Kenning  |  

CHICAGO (Reuters)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said on Wednesday his office sued five major drug manufacturers, accusing them of misrepresenting the risks of prescription opioid painkillers and so helping fuel a sky-rocketing drug addiction epidemic. A growing number of state and local governments are suing drugmakers and distributors, seeking to hold them accountable for the…