A novel NLRP3 inhibitor reduced high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and other inflammatory biomarkers in patients at high inflammatory risk, according to the results of a trial presented at the European Atherosclerosis Society Congress.The NLRP3 inhibitor, ruvonoflast (NodThera), “is designed to directly inhibit activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in multiple clinically relevant cell types (eg, macrophages, vascular cells),” Jyothis P. George, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of NodThera and an author of the study, told Healio. “By targeting NLRP3, ruvonoflast aims to reduce the production of
Three dosing levels of enpatoran each reduced disease activity among patients with skin manifestations of cutaneous or systemic lupus erythematosus, according to data published in Lancet Rheumatology.“The connection between interferon and SLE is an old story going back to the 1970s, when Hooks and his colleagues at the NIH published in the New England Journal of Medicine the results of their study, which evaluated interferon levels in samples from patients with a variety of rheumatic diseases,” Richard A. Furie, MD, chief of the rheumatology division at Northwell Health, in New
Healio AI announced an official partnership with The Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration, which is dedicated to helping those with severe ocular surface disease.“Staying current with the most up to date medical opinions and treatment strategies is at the essence of what it means to be a physician and use best practices to treat patients,” Stephen S. Lane, MD, chair of the board of directors for The Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration (HFSR), said in a press release from The Wyanoke Group. “Today we have wonderful tools at our fingertips to gain these insights with trusted sources of
The recent federal reforms to pharmacy benefit managers are a meaningful step in the right direction, but the work is not over yet, according to experts.In January 2025, the Federal Trade Commission released a report that revealed pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) overcharged for specialty generic medications — in many cases by hundreds and thousands of percent — for billions in profits. And, according to a report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers, the three largest PBMs in the United States — Optum Rx (a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group), Caremark Rx (a subsidiary of CVS Health
Early and aggressive intervention is recommended for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, according to new 2026 guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology.“If a child has damage from untreated or undertreated arthritis, that will follow them forever,” Karen Onel, MD, chief of the division of pediatric rheumatology at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and professor of clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, told Healio. “We know that some children with get off medication over time as the arthritis regresses. However, if damage has already happened
The FDA has approved a label expansion for the interleukin-23 inhibitor guselkumab to include the inhibition of structural joint damage progression in adults with psoriatic arthritis.The label update follows data from the APEX trial, in which guselkumab (Tremfya, Janssen) yielded significantly lower rates of radiographic progression compared with placebo at 24 weeks. The analysis, which was published by Philip J. Mease, MD, of Swedish Medical Center and the University of Washington, and colleagues in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases in December, included more than 1,000 biologic-naïve
Gendered differences may impact how medical students rank their preferred schools when matching for residency, according to study data published in Organization Science.Across two studies, the data show that men and women navigate the Main Residency Match differently and highlight the need for improved education on the process, according to Samuel E. Skowronek, PhD, assistant professor of management at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, and Joyce C. He, PhD, assistant professor of management and organizations at UCLA Anderson School of Management.“The National Resident
CMS has issued an interim final rule that implements new work requirements for adults on Medicaid.The new statutory requirement will apply to adults who are aged 19 to 64, not pregnant and “enrolled in the Medicaid adult group or in certain section 1115 demonstrations that provide minimum essential coverage to adult beneficiaries,” according to a CMS fact sheet. As of now, 43 states and Washington D.C. offer coverage to these populations and must implement the new requirement.Those who are affected will now be required to engage in qualifying activities — employment, community service or some
Educational and behavioral strategies employing technology may aid efforts to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior in patients with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis, according to updated EULAR recommendations.The updates and revisions to EULAR’s 2018 physical activity recommendations were published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.The recommendations, developed by a multidisciplinary task force, include four overarching principles and 11 recommendations that address standard of care, physical activity measurement, intervention modalities, dosing and
CLEVELAND — Researchers are uncovering triggers and treatments for cutaneous vasculitis, an inflammatory condition that damages the skin’s blood vessels, according to a speaker at Cleveland Clinic’s Medical Dermatology Therapy Update IV.“About 80% percent of patients who present with cutaneous small vessel vasculitis or vasculitis in the skin have skin-limited disease,” Evan Piette, MD, director of the cutaneous vasculitis clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told Healio. “About 12% have systemic IgA vasculitis, and around 8% have another systemic vasculitis or connective tissue disease.”
Health care professionals want AI tools that are clinically accurate, offer privacy protections and can be integrated into existing workflows, according to data from a Healio survey.In March, Healio fielded a 27-item survey to understand how health care professionals are using AI in practice and their sentiments toward AI tools. Among 618 eligible respondents (49.5% men), 52.3% were physicians and 48.4% had more than 21 years of experience. Respondents’ primary affiliations were with private practices (45.1%), academic medical centers (21.4%) and community hospitals (19.9%), among other
Low-dose aspirin initiated giant cell arteritis diagnosis reduced the risk for major adverse cardiac events at 1 and 3 years, but increased risk for major hemorrhage at 1 year, according to data published in JAMA Network Open.“As in other inflammatory diseases,1 patients with GCA face an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD),” Maxime Beydon, MD, MPH, of Sorbonne University and Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, and colleagues wrote. “This risk is highest in the months following GCA diagnosis, when vascular inflammation is maximal and exposure to corticosteroids
Vunakizumab, a novel interleukin 17a monoclonal antibody, is superior to placebo in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis symptom improvement, according to data published in JAMA Network Open.“Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the recommended first-line pharmacologic treatment for [radiographic axial SpA (r-axSpA)],” Jian Zhu, MD, of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, in Beijing, and colleagues wrote. “For persistently high disease activity despite NSAID treatment, biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are subsequent treatment options.
JAMA Network announced a new resource called JAMA+ Trials that is “designed to elevate the visibility, accessibility and understanding of trusted clinical trial research across medicine,” according to a press release.The platform features a searchable collection of recent trials across the JAMA Network’s 13 journals, a rotating set of trial themes designed to stimulate conversation and debate about trials, as well as tailored educational resources on trial design, conduct and reporting.Alison J. Huang, MD, MPhil, MAS, a clinical epidemiologist and trialist who has led
Biologics coordinators exert much control over the medications used in rheumatology clinics, with 80% reporting “significant” influence over biosimilar brand selection, according to findings from a recent survey by Spherix Global Insights.“The fact that biologic coordinators report having significant influence over biosimilar brand selection highlights how central these roles have become in modern rheumatology practices,” Ryan Rex, senior director of insights at Spherix Global Insights, told Healio. “While physicians ultimately prescribe therapy, coordinators are the individuals navigating
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