The risk of acute coronary syndrome varies little across individual bDMARDs in people with rheumatoid arthritis INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis (shortened to RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects a person’s joints, and may cause pain and disability. RA can affect people of all ages, but the risk increases with age. RA is more common […]
Category: Biologic drugs
Biologics may help reduce the need for steroids in PMR
In newly diagnosed people undergoing rapid glucocorticoid tapering, tocilizumab was superior to placebo INTRODUCTION Polymyalgia rheumatica (shortened to PMR) is the second most common inflammatory rheumatic disease in people over the age of 50. Symptoms include pain in the neck, shoulders, and hips, as well as morning stiffness. PMR can be treated with glucocorticoids (also […]
Medication use for rheumatoid arthritis affects COVID-19 outcomes
People with rheumatoid arthritis treated with rituximab or JAKi have worse COVID-19 severity than those on TNFi INTRODUCTION COVID-19 is the disease caused by a new type of coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. COVID-19 has forced people to […]
Positive results for tildrakizumab in people with PsA
Tildrakizumab treatment significantly improved several joint and skin manifestations of psoriatic arthritis. INTRODUCTION Psoriatic arthritis (shortened to PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects a person’s joints, causing pain and disability. The disease often causes swelling of the fingers and toes. It gets its name from the link between this type of arthritis and […]
No additional risk from COVID-19 for people with rheumatic diseases taking biologics and JAK inhibitors
There is no need for withdrawal of DMARDs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Introduction COVID-19 is caused by a new type of coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. COVID-19 has forced people to change their behaviours to try to limit […]
Lymphoma risk in RA is more dependent on the underlying disease than use of bDMARD treatments
There is no evidence that using bDMARDS to treat rheumatoid arthritis has an effect on the type of lymphoma that people might get INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects a person’s joints, causing pain and disability. It can also affect internal organs. Rheumatoid arthritis affects women more frequently than men. Lymphoma […]
Women can continue certolizumab during breastfeeding
Only very small amounts of certolizumab cross into human breastmilk. INTRODUCTION Chronic inflammatory diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn’s disease. These diseases often affect women in their childbearing years, and many experience their disease getting worse after their baby is born. Treatment of these conditions often uses biologic drugs […]
Biologics should be compared to the highest possible dose of methotrexate
Some drugs work better at higher doses. Traditionally, studies designed to show that biologic drugs are better than methotrexate have not used the highest possible dose of methotrexate to compare against. INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects a person’s joints, causing pain and disability. It can also affect internal organs. Rheumatoid […]
Treatment-free remission may soon be a realistic goal in rheumatoid arthritis
Tapering and sometimes discontinuation of DMARDS is possible in people with rheumatoid arthritis who achieve sustained remission, hinting at the possibility that the disease could be cured. INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes pain and disability. It can also affect internal organs. Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in older people, but […]
In RA, etanercept can usually not be stopped, but in some patients who are doing well the dose may be reduced
Rheumatoid arthritis patients who have stable and improved symptoms should continue long-term maintenance treatment on full- or low-dose etanercept. INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects a person’s joints and sometimes their internal organs, causing pain and disability. Etanercept is one of a group of medicines called biologics that are used to […]
