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

Biologics/DMARDs

Herpes Zoster & Tofacitinib

Arthritis & Rheumatology  |  

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster (HZ), is a common and sometimes debilitating disease that disproportionately affects elderly individuals and those who are immunocompromised. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a 1.5–2-fold higher risk of developing HZ compared with healthy adults. Treatment with some disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has been shown to increase this risk….

CMS Implements Part B Modifiers for Biosimilars

  |  

With the advent of biosimilars to the marketplace, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) now requires modifiers to identify the manufacturer of a biosimilar/biological product on Part B claims. Modifiers were put in place to provide the CMS with the necessary data needed to track claims payments, as well as the ability to…

FDA Approves First Biosimilar for the Treatment of Cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration  |  

Mvasi, a biosimilar to the cancer drug Avastin, is approved for certain colorectal, lung, brain, kidney and cervical cancers The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Mvasi (bevacizumab-awwb) as a biosimilar to Avastin (bevacizumab) for the treatment of multiple types of cancer. Mvasi is the first biosimilar approved in the U.S. for the treatment…

Opinion: Help Bring Drug Prices Down

Maarten Boers, MSc, MD, PhD  |  

I read with interest the articles in the June issue of The Rheumatologist pertaining to high drug costs. Simon Helfgott rheuminated on it, and Susan Bernstein, a medical journalist, wrote a two-page article titled “Concerns About Cost.” Both articles were thoughtful summaries of a complex issue, putting large question marks over both initial prices and…

Novel Bone Drug Promising in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The investigational drug romosozumab led to gains in hip bone mineral density (BMD) that were not seen with teriparatide in older women with osteoporosis transitioning from bisphosphonate therapy in the STRUCTURE study. Amgen’s romosozumab is a monoclonal antibody that inhibits sclerosin, a negative regulator of bone formation. In addition to stimulating bone…