SAN DIEGO—In a presentation on what rheumatology nurses should know in their daily practice about disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Nov. 3–8, Jessica Farrell, PharmD, highlighted the importance of educating and counseling patients about the range of treatments and applications for rheumatologic conditions. Dr. Farrell, a clinical pharmacist at the…
Although six biosimilar agents have now been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for use in rheumatology, scientific, clinical, economic and prescribing questions about the use of biosimilars abound. In fact, at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego, Joseph Huffstutter, MD, a rheumatologist in private practice in Chattanooga, Tenn., said that…
The FDA recently expanded the indications for ferumoxytol injections to include the treatment of adults with iron-deficiency anemia…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The biosimilar LBEC0101 is equivalent to etanercept (Enbrel) in treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who respond inadequately to methotrexate, according to researchers from Korea and Japan. As Dr. Yeong-Wook Song tells Reuters Health by email, “LBEC0101 is comparable in efficacy, safety and immunogenicity profile to Enbrel.” The findings, he adds, could…
Several major health plans have recently enacted policies regarding coverage status for Remicade (infliximab) and its biosimilars, Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb) and Renflexis (infliximab-abda). Most of these plans are limiting coverage for the biosimilar products to very specific circumstances. Some have also begun denying claims for biosimilars and instructing patients to switch to Remicade. The plans implementing…
(Reuters)—A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that invalidated a crucial Johnson & Johnson patent on its blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug, Remicade (infliximab), limiting J&J’s ability to seek damages from Pfizer Inc. over its launch of a lower-cost version of the drug. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed…
In the EU, certolizumab pegol has been approved for use in pregnant and nursing women with chronic rheumatic disease…
SAN DIEGO—Should patients with rheumatic diseases switch from a biologic to its biosimilar? At the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting’s Great Debate, held Nov. 5, two rheumatologists argued whether to switch or stay put based on safety, efficacy and potential cost savings. First to the podium to make the case for switching, Jonathan Kay, MD, tweaked…
During the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, advances in biosimilar treatments were abuzz. However, many speakers noted that the presence of biosimilars on the market has not yet resulted in greater access to treatment and lower drug pricing in the U.S…
Preliminary results from an ongoing study show that bimekizumab improves joint and skin symptoms in patients with psoriatic arthritis…