Focus Rheums| ACR Convergence 2024 Previews

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

FDA Declines to Expand Approval of Pfizer Arthritis Drug Xeljanz

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—U.S. health regulators declined to approve Pfizer Inc’s oral rheumatoid arthritis drug Xeljanz (tofacitinib) to treat moderate to severe cases of plaque psoriasis, the drugmaker said on Wednesday. Pfizer said it received a complete response letter from the Food and Drug Administration. Such letters typically outline concerns and conditions that must be addressed in order…

Opinion: Insurance Companies Use Medically and Fiscally Irresponsible Formularies

Bruce Rothschild, MD  |  

Receipt of an unsolicited communication that a sweepstakes award has been won may con some people (especially, but not limited to, those underprivileged or undereducated as to legalities), but can’t fool all of the people all of the time. The names of the organizations and products involved are often marketing tool inventions, which imply special…

Arthritis Power App Can Help Patients Monitor Symptoms, Improve Office Visits

Linda Childers  |  

For the past 16 years, the website, creakyjoints.org, founded by arthritis patient Seth Ginsberg and social entrepreneur Louis Tharp, has offered arthritis patients and their families a safe online community where they can receive meaningful support and education. In March, the online portal added a new initiative—Arthritis Power, the first-ever patient-led, patient-generated, app-based research registry…

Dr. Yokoyama, MD, with Jennifer Laurent

Interdisciplinary Collaboration at Wash U Advances Understanding of Immunology, Rheumatology

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In June 2014, 10 members of a church group returned to St. Louis from Haiti, where they had contracted chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus previously unknown in the Western hemisphere that produces inflammatory arthritis symptoms. Because CHIKV-related arthritis mimics seronegative RA, a group of clinicians, immunologists, virologists and geneticists at the Washington University in…

FDA Issues Stronger Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Warning

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, CGP, RPh  |  

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has toughened the existing warnings for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) due to their stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) risk increase.1 Due to a continual review of these products, FDA is requiring label updates for all prescription NSAIDs. Over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs already list the increased risk of MI and…

Rheumatologists Share Research, Successes at Annual Investigators’ Meeting

From the College  |  

“Each project adds new knowledge that brings us a little closer to the cure,” Joan Bathon, MD, of Columbia University Medical Center, says of the Rheumatology Research Foundation’s 8th Annual Investigators’ Meeting in San Diego. Dr. Bathon was one of more than 30 investigators who presented the latest progress on research funded by the Foundation’s…

ACR 2016: Proposals Needed for 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

From the College  |  

The Annual Meeting Planning Committee believes the best ideas come from our members! We need your input in developing educational content that best suits the needs of our target audience. Take advantage of an opportunity to share your ideas with your colleagues by submitting a proposal for the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. The deadline to…

Rheumatologist Nathan Wei, MD, Focuses on Alternatives to Surgery for Athletes

Eric Butterman  |  

Nathan Wei, MD, FACP, FACR, admits that he didn’t exactly agree with the amount certain things were encouraged in his family. “Aspects such as academics and music were focused on so much,” he says. “I wanted to break out from that upbringing. I wanted to add in more of what I wanted to do.” And…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Answer: Coding for a Knee Injection

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Take the challenge. CPT: 20611-LT, J7325 X 1 ICD-9: 715.16—Osteoarthritis, localized, primary, lower leg ICD-10: M17.12—Unilateral pri- mary osteoarthritis, left knee Note: When billing for 20611—Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa (e.g., shoulder, hip, knee, subacromial bursa), with permanent recording and reporting, there must be a permanent photograph of the needle placement in…