Spondyloarthritis

Approved by the FDA to treat plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and active Crohn's disease, ustekinumab appeared to benefit patients with severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in a small study seeking to correlate its immunologic effects with clinical efficacy.

A review of studies concludes that switching psoriatic arthritis patients who have stopped responding to one tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) to another will likely reduce their symptoms, but the effectiveness of each new medication will likely be less than each former medication.

Patients with active psoriatic arthritis treated with secukinumab for 2 years in the FUTURE-1 trial experienced sustained decreases in disease activity and symptoms, leading to improvements in physical function and quality of life.

Analysis of patient records from Denmark and Iceland found that obese psoriatic arthritis patients responded less than their lighter counterparts to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFIs) and that they used such medications for shorter periods of time.

The FDA has granted approval for ustekinumab (Stelara/Janssen Biotech) to treat adults with moderately-to severely active Crohn’s disease (CD).

A new model that combines real-world prices with outcome data from both controlled trials and clinical practice indicates that the immediate use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (anti-TNFs) is a cost-effective way to achieve good first-year outcomes in patients newly diagnosed with both plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

A retrospective analysis of patient records has found a significant link between psoriatic arthritis and malignant cancer – particularly breast cancer.

The authors say that for uveitis “there is a large unmet medical need" for identifying other therapies. Adalimumab is associated with decreased visual impairment and decreased risk of uveitic flare, but more adverse events, according the results from a recent multinational phase 3 trial.

Ixekizumab patients, who all started with an introductory 160-mg dose, were all more likely than placebo patients to achieve the primary endpoint of the study: a 20% reduction in disease burden as measured by American College of Rheumatology criteria (an ACR20 response) by week 24.

Despite the life of a patient with eczema being in many ways similar to that of a patient with psoriasis, their options for treatment are not nearly as robust as the other dermatologic condition.

As patients go through the process of treating their plaque psoriasis, there can be different levels of success depending on a number of situations. As a result, measuring success can be a challenge as well.

With most cases of plaque psoriasis being diagnosed in adolescence the treatment and diagnosis can be a delicate process, especially when parents are involved.

As new treatments for plaque psoriasis are developed the field as a whole is taking a new look at the condition. However, there are still challenges to overcome in diagnosis and treatment.

It was not long ago that patients diagnosed with plaque psoriasis would require a month-long hospital stay for a short-lived treatment of the condition.

Erelzi, a biosimilar of Enbrel (etanercept), has received FDA approval. Biosimilars are defined by the organization as being “highly similar to an FDA-approved biological product” while demonstrating “clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety and effectiveness.”

Retrospective study results indicate that golimumab may be a new and effective choice for maintaining remission and preventing recurrence of severe, recurrent anterior uveitis in patients with HLA-B27-positive ankylosing spondylitis.

Adalimumab, infliximab, and etanercept, reduced the number of uveitis relapses in a retrospective, long-term study of uveitis patients with HLA-B27-positive ankylosing spondylitis who had taken one of these biological agents for at least 1 year.

A small British study indicates that the use of several immunosuppressive agents can restore the effectiveness of ustekinumab (Stelara) in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Enthesitis refers to the instance of inflammation at the point where a tendon joins to a bone. Looking for further insight into the mechanisms behind inflammatory rheumatism, researchers from delved into the roots of Achilles enthesitis and may have emerged with a new approach to treating many rheumatic conditions.

Many studies have looked for a link between psoriatic arthritis and cardiovascular disease. Some have found it, while others haven’t.

While it has been known for some time that psoriasis patients are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other comorbidities, new research has shown that these patients also have a higher risk of developing aortic aneurysms.

Many psoriasis patients wish they were better informed of the significant impact their skin condition would have on their physical and mental health, according to results from Psoriasis in America 2016, a Health Union national survey.

A new matched cohort analysis contradicts several prior studies that conclude patients with psoriatic arthritis face an increased risk of cardiovascular comorbidity.

Patients with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis still face challenges research has yet to meet, according to the authors: “Given the commonality of comorbidities across all three diseases, there is a degree of overlap in their management.”

Patients afflicted with severe psoriasis may be at higher risk for chronic pancreatitis (CP).

Analysis of data from 2 large trials finds that cutoffs used to separate different “disease activity states” on the Disease Activity index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) are valid. Different disease activity states are associated with different degrees of functional impairment and joint damage progression.

Psoriatic arthritis patients with carotid plaque have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CV), but don’t always receive the proper preventative care to manage that risk.

Researchers concluded that the drug secukinumab is associated with on-going inhibition of radiographic progression.

Taking the dual approach in biologic and phototherapy treatments appears to be a more beneficial clinical treatment method for patients suffering from moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

New research comparing patients and controls suggests that the body’s inflammatory response to psoriatic arthritis can lead to atherosclerosis and then to cardiovascular disease.