Lana Pine

Adult patients with psoriatic arthritis starting a second-line biological after discontinuing a TNF were enrolled in the nationwide cohort study.

“Reversing and preventing adverse lifestyle factors could potentially reduce the incidence and burden of rheumatoid arthritis, as well as alleviate its comorbidities,” investigators hypothesized.

Investigators measured pain intensity, the primary outcome, as well as physical function, isometric strength, quality of life, and fibromyalgia impact at baseline and the 6-month mark.

Investigators evaluated whether the availability of the biosimilar infliximab was linked to lower out-of-pocket costs using claims from the IBM MarketScan national data set of commercially insured patients.

Katinka Albrecht, MD, and Johanna Callhoff, MSc, discuss the results of their recent study evaluating patients with rheumatoid arthritis and concomitant interstitial lung disease.

"All forms of arthritis can make life difficult for people because of the pain, swelling, or stiffness in a joint or joints, and because of difficulties in getting about," investigators explained.

“Our primary motivation was to help develop treatments for people with osteoarthritis that would slow or prevent the disease and be more than painkillers- actually affect the disease process itself,” Virginia Kraus, MD, explains.

The January 2023 rheumatology month in review highlights a recent study that indicated an increased risk of hospitalization and death among patients with gout and COVID-19, the expansion of research evaluating adalimumab biosimilars, and trends in fibromyalgia.

The approval of the adalimumab biosimilar, adalimumab-aacf, signals the beginning of Fresenius Kabi's long-term dedication to biosimilars.

A total of 608 patients from an early RA cohort that had baseline radiographs of hands and feet, as well as at 1, 2, 5, and 8 years, were included in the long-term study.

"Changes in the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) seem to be associated with changes in objectively assessed strength and physical function, suggesting HAQ captures the patient impact of sarcopenia-related disability,” investigators noted.

Real-world evidence indicates that patients with psoriasis can safely and effectively undergo (non-medical) switching to a biosimilar.

The syndrome, although rare, has a high mortality rate, with approximately half of patients dying within 5 years of diagnosis.

“Disease-related malnutrition is strongly associated with morbidity, disability, short- and long-term mortality, and impaired disease recovery," investigators explained.

Shifts towards on-patient and higher-cost therapies have been observed in TNF-alpha inhibitor biosimilar availability. Therefore, the importance of investing in biosimilars is encouraged.

The multicenter superiority trial evaluated patients with diagnosed knee osteoarthritis and a history of pain and decreased knee function using patient-tailored exercise programs.

The safety and efficacy of 4 adalimumab biosimilars was compared in a real-life setting in adult patients with IBD switching from the originator for a non-medical reason.

The findings visualized the increased amount of research regarding acupuncture for fibromyalgia treatment, which may eventually boost efficacy, reduce cost, and promte future development in the field.

The 2-phase study analyzed the association of plasma vitamin D levels with clinical phenotype, serology, and disease variables in a large cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus living in India.

“Despite the multiple benefits offered by physical activity (PA), the proportion of older adults meeting PA guidelines is between 27% to 44%," investigators explained.

Improved patient-reported outcomes were observed in patients who used mind-body interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and yoga, and were effective for managing IBS and fibromyalgia.

Intervention strategies that focus on the reduction of catastrophic thinking in addition to physical exercise may be beneficial for patients with fibromyalgia.

Studying quality care markers can help clinicians understand treatment variations and non-adherence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, which may improve outcomes and decrease financial burdens.

Understanding the risk factors, such as a gout diagnosis and long-term glucocorticoid use, can help inform patients and clinicians regarding the continued management of patients with rheumatic disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The etanercept biosimilar, YLB113 (Nepexto), maintained a favorable efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity profile through week 96.

Serum urate rapidly declined after initiation of pegloticase and methotrexate therapy and was maintained well below ≥ 6 mg/dL, an indicator of uncontrolled gout, throughout the study.

In the post-hoc analysis, an association between cumulative local joint swelling and progression of radiographic damage in the same joint was observed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Despite EULAR recommendations encouraging the tapering of glucocorticoids and the rapidly expanding treatment options for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, glucocorticoids are still commonly prescribed to reduce inflammation and manage disease activity.

“The fact that patients report substituting cannabis for pain medications so much underscores the need for research on the benefits and risk of using cannabis for chronic pain,” investigators stated.

Findings support the concept of early urate-lowering therapy in patients experiencing gout flare under adequate prophylactic treatment.