By considering the long-term damage from early, aggressive rheumatoid arthritis, researchers in the UK were able to develop a model demonstrating the long-term cost effectiveness of more aggressive combination therapies v. short-term treatments…

By considering the long-term damage from early, aggressive rheumatoid arthritis, researchers in the UK were able to develop a model demonstrating the long-term cost effectiveness of more aggressive combination therapies v. short-term treatments…
Toni Clarke |
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed on Thursday identifying cheaper versions of biologic drugs with a suffix to distinguish them from their more expensive, branded counterparts. The FDA said its draft guidance is designed to prevent the inadvertent substitution of non-interchangeable products and to make it easier to monitor and track usage once…
Kate Kelland |
LONDON (Reuters)—People around the world are living longer, but many are also living sicker lives for longer, according to a study of all major diseases and injuries in 188 countries. General health has improved worldwide, thanks to significant progress against infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, in the past decade and gains in fighting…
New legislation has the potential to streamline the audit process for Medicare and Medicaid, taking a burden off small rheumatology practices…
Rob Goodier |
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Adolescents with moderate to severe psoriasis may respond to the human monoclonal antibody ustekinumab as well as adults, with no unexpected side effects, a new study found. The findings are exciting in part because patients in this age group have limited treatment options, the study’s lead author Dr. Ian Landells, of Memorial…
Alison Frankel & Jessica Dye |
(Reuters)—Two business lobbying groups this week called on the Consumer Financial Protection Board to investigate the medical funding industry after a Reuters investigation revealed that private investors are funding operations for women who have sued makers of surgical implants. The American Tort Reform Association and DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar told Reuters on Tuesday…
Gene Emery |
(Reuters Health)—Going without sleep the night before does not affect the performance of doctors doing elective surgery the next morning, according to a new Ontario study that runs contrary to research demonstrating that sleep-deprived physicians pose a hazard to patients. The odds of having a surgery-related problem were 22.2% when the doctor had been treating…
Will Boggs, MD |
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A multicomponent intervention can significantly increase pneumococcal vaccination rates in pediatric rheumatology patients, researchers report. “The interventions outlined in our article can easily be implemented in pediatric rheumatology practices or other subspecialty clinics,” Dr. Julia G. Harris from Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Mo., told Reuters Health by email. “It takes additional…
American College of Rheumatology |
ATLANTA—The American College of Rheumatology has released a statement outlining the ACR’s position on the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM’s) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements. The position statement was drafted and vetted during a three-month collaboration between ACR leadership and its members where nearly 1,100 rheumatologists provided feedback that was used to formulate the…
The FDA has issued a new boxed warning for Droxia (hydroxyurea). Also, according to a new study, RA patients receiving rituximab should be monitored for late-onset neutropenia…