Arthritis News > Continuation For TNF Switch High rates of continuation for RA patients switched to second TNF inhibitor January 2007 – Jon Giles, M.D. Clinical trials of TNF inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) typically show minimal clinical response rates (i.e. ACR20) of 60 to 70%. However, clinically meaningful response rates, such as an ACR50 [...]

Arthritis News > RA & Subclinical Synovitis RA Patients in Remission May Still Have Subclinical Synovitis January 2007 – Jon Giles, M.D. Radiographic progression has been demonstrated in RA patients with no clinical evidence of synovitis on physical examination. This has raised the question of whether joint damage and destruction can occur in the absence [...]

Arthritis News > Genentech Announcement Genentech announces rare opportunistic infection in two Lupus patients treated with Rituximab. John Giles, M.D. Genentech/Biogen Idec, the manufacturers of rituximab (Rituxan), have reported the occurrence of two cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare opportunistic infection of the central nervous system (CNS), in two patients receiving the drug [...]

Arthritis News > FDA Votes Against Approval of Etoricoxib FDA Arthritis Advisory Panel Votes Against Approval of Etoricoxib for Osteoarthritis Recently, the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee reviewed the New Drug Application of the drug etoricoxib (Arcoxia), a COX-2 selective NSAID manufactured by Merck & Co., for use in the treatment of osteoarthritis pain.  After review [...]

Arthritis News > Occupational Exposures adn Systemic Autoimmune Disease Do Occupational Exposures Increase the Risk of Death from Systemic Autoimmune Disease? Jon Giles, M.D. Background: Both genetic and environmental exposures, to varying degrees, are felt to contribute to the risk and severity of systemic autoimmune diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, etc…).  While some clear [...]