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Anti-tumor necrosis factor-α effective in psoriatic arthritis
Patients with psoriatic arthritis undergoing their first treatment with tumor necrosis factor-? inhibitor showed a high adherence to therapy and a good response, according to a recent Danish study published in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) undergoing their first treatment with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNA-α) inhibitor showed a high adherence to therapy and a good response, according to a recent Danish study published in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Investigators used a nationwide rheumatologic database to identify 764 PsA patients who were treated with TNA-α inhibitors. In the first 6 months of treatment, the patients' clinical responses were evaluated according to the American College of Rheumatology's 20% (ACR20), 50% (ACR50), or 70% (ACR70) improvement criteria or the European League Against Rheumatism's (EULAR) good response. Drug adherence and clinical response predictors were also assessed.
Of the 764 patients, 320 received adalimumab, 260 received infliximab, and 184 received etanercept. The average duration of drug adherence was 2.9 years; 70% of patients remained adherent for 1 year and 57% for 2 years. Male gender, baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) level >10 mg/L, concomitant methotrexate use, and low patient health visual analog score at baseline were associated with longer adherence to therapy. Improvement in the ACR20, ACR50, ACR70, and EULAR good response was 59%, 45%, 24%, and 54%, respectively. A CRP level >10 mg/L was predictive of improved responses in all categories.
"This analysis of 764 patients with PsA in a nationwide prospective registry documents that TNA-α inhibitors decrease the disease activity in patients with PsA in clinical practice," the investigators concluded.
Coalition promotes important acetaminophen dosing reminders
November 18th 2014It may come as a surprise that each year Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20% get the flu. This cold and flu season, 7 in 10 patients will reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat their coughs, stuffy noses, and sniffles. It’s an important time of the year to remind patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines containing acetaminophen.
Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design
June 30th 2014The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).
Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy
June 13th 2013Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.
Medical innovation improves outcomes
June 12th 2013I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the pancreas, a disease that’s long been considered not just incurable, but almost impossible to treat-a recalcitrant disease that some practitioners feel has given oncology a bad name. I was told my life would be measured in weeks.
