Drug Updates

Subcategories:Analgesics Biologics/DMARDs

Physician’s Choice: Factors That Influence First- & Second-Line Biologic Therapy in RA Patients

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP | February 20, 2017

In patients with RA, age and higher rates of comorbidity are influential in selecting and changing treatments…

Prescription-Drug Monitoring Cuts Doctor-Shopping for Painkillers

Ronnie Cohen | February 20, 2017

(Reuters Health)—State programs that require physicians to check drug registries before writing prescriptions appeared to slash the odds of doctor-shopping for opioid pain relievers, a new study found. “Our study shows that prescription-drug monitoring programs are a promising component of a multifaceted strategy to address the opioid epidemic,” Ryan Mutter, one of the study authors,…

FDA Approves Valeant’s Drug to Treat Plaque Psoriasis

Reuters Staff | February 20, 2017

(Reuters)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.’s brodalumab (Siliq) to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Brodalumab is administered as an injection. Brodalumab is intended for patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy and have failed to respond, or have stopped responding to other systemic therapies,…

Celecoxib Is a Safe Treatment for Arthritis

Lara C. Pullen, PhD | February 20, 2017

A study compared celecoxib with ibuprofen and naproxen to determine its cardiovascular safety, as well as gastrointestinal and renal outcomes, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The results showed that celecoxib met all prespecified noninferiority requirements and is as safe as other non-selective NSAIDs…

Switch to Biosimilar Infliximab for IBD Slashes Drug Costs

Reuters Staff | February 17, 2017

NEW YORK—Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients can be safely switched from originator infliximab to biosimilar infliximab using a managed-switching program, U.K. research shows. “Thus far, there does not appear to be any significant difference between the two infliximab products in terms of drug persistence, side effects, adverse reactions, disease activity, or blood tests, but ongoing…

Rheumatology Drug Updates: Efficacy & Safety of Guselkumab, Plus FX006 for Knee OA

Kelly April Tyrrell | February 16, 2017

Guselkumab Improves Active Psoriatic Arthritis New research has revealed that patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ≥3% body area of plaque psoriasis benefit from treatment with a human monoclonal antibody known as guselkumab (GUS). GUS is specific for the p19 subunit of interleukin 23 (IL-23). Patients in the Phase 2 clinical trial experienced significant…

Biosimilars to Raise Unique Questions

Vanessa Caceres | February 16, 2017

Rheumatologists are accustomed to educating patients about medications, but biologic medications—and now biosimilars—require some additional time and discussion. “Biologics are inherently more complex [than other medications], and there are multiple issues to consider before initiating treatment,” says K. “Kwas” Huston, MD, The Center for Rheumatic Disease, Kansas City, Mo. The first FDA-approved biosimilar to become…

Tips, Resources to Help Rheumatologists Educate Patients on Biologics and Biosimilars

Vanessa Caceres | February 15, 2017

Rheumatologists are accustomed to educating patients about medications—but biologic medications require some additional time and discussion. “Biologics are inherently more complex [than other medications], and there are multiple issues to consider before initiating treatment,” says K. “Kwas” Huston, MD, The Center for Rheumatic Disease, Kansas City, Mo. “This includes the patient’s disease activity, prior medications…

Two U.S. Lawmakers Probe Marathon over $89,000 Drug Price

Reuters Staff | February 14, 2017

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Two U.S. lawmakers have called on privately held Marathon Pharmaceuticals LLC to explain how it came to price its newly approved drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy at $89,000 a year when patients have for decades been able to acquire it overseas for as little as $1,000. The drug, Emflaza, known generically as deflazacort,…

U.S. Senators Question Kaleo’s $4,500 tag on Opioid Overdose Treatment

Ankur Banerjee | February 10, 2017

(Reuters)—U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) on Thursday asked Kaleo Pharmaceuticals to justify the more than 550% surge in the price of its device to treat opioid overdoses, becoming the second senator to question Evzio’s $4,500 price tag. Evzio contains the overdose-reversing drug naloxone and can be used in emergencies by people without medical training. Privately…