Secukinumab (Cosentyx), a human immunoglobulin G1-kappa monoclonal antibody that inhibits interleukin-17A, is a safe long-term treatment option for patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
The Supreme Court unanimously agreed that a judge, not a jury, should determine whether several hundred lawsuits pertaining to Merck’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax should move forward. The lawsuits pertain to unusual thigh fractures sustained by patients taking the drug.
Patients taking opioids prior to undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA) may have worse outcomes and prolonged postoperative opioid use compared to patients who are opioid-naïve prior to surgery.
Diacerein could help rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients’ pain, joint function, and disease activity if they had an inadequate response to methotrexate.
Prescribing patterns for methotrexate in early RA patients vary significantly among clinical practices.
PsA patients taking tofacitinib for three months have similar increases in serum lipid levels to patients with RA and PsO, with low levels of hypertension-related adverse events and major adverse cardiovascular events.
Gout patients initiating allopurinol and febuxostat have similar risks for non-fatal cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.
There is no difference in infection risk in RA patients taking rituximab versus non-rituximab therapy.
Geographic convenience may be a deciding factor for treatment option in RA patients initiating their first biologic disease modifying antirheumatic drug.
Opportunistic infection is more common in early RA than overall RA.
RA patients taking abatacept have similar outcomes regardless of whether they are taking concomitant methotrexate.
Tags: rheumatology, rheumatic disease, rheumatoid arthritis, RA, psoriatic arthritis, PsA, psoriasis, PsO, gout, rituximab, medication, abatacept, methotrexate, allopurinol, febuxostat, tofacitinib, cardiology, cardiovascular disease, major adverse cardiovascular event
