Top five videos from ACR 2017

During the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting, Healio Rheumatology sat down with experts and key opinion leaders to discuss the latest rheumatology research and clinical applications.

While reviewing their presentations on recent developments in rheumatic disease diagnosis and management, experts also provided key insight on where the field of rheumatology is headed and how recent technological advances are expected to change the patient care paradigm.

Anabasum shows acceptable safety, tolerability for diffuse system sclerosis

Robert F. Spiera, MD, of the Hospital for Special Surgery, spoke about the safety and efficacy of anabasum, a cannabinoid receptor type 2 agonist, for the treatment of diffuse systemic sclerosis.

Spiera said in this phase 2 study of 42 patients, anabasum had acceptable safety in diffuse systemic sclerosis with evidence of clinical benefit. Additionally, there were a strong correlation in the ACR Combined Response Index in Diffuse Cutaneous System Sclerosis scores, which was the primary efficacy outcome. Watch here.

Improved physical function for patients with RA when switched from adalimumab to sarilumab

Gerd R. Burmester, MD, spoke about the efficacy and safety of switching from adalimumab to sarilumab in an open-label extension of the MONARCH trial.

Burmester said results showed that patients with rheumatoid arthritis had improved physical function when switched from adalimumab 40 mg monotherapy to sarilumab 200 mg every 2 weeks. Additionally, the researchers found the safety profile for this open-label extension trial was consistent with the safety profile found in the MONARCH trial. Watch here.

Nowell speaks about fatigue and methotrexate use for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

W. Benjamin Nowell, PhD, MSW, of the Global Healthy Living Foundation, spoke about results of a study that used ArthritisPower, a national patient registry, to assess methotrexate use and fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

He said that patients who received methotrexate monotherapy had lower fatigue scores. Patients who received biologic monotherapy had the lowest physical function score. He said more longitudinal data is needed. Watch here.

Intra-articular sprifermin prevented cartilage loss in patients with knee OA

Marc C. Hochberg, MD, spoke about a study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of intra-articular sprifermin in patients with symptomatic radiographic knee osteoarthritis. When sprifermin was administered at a higher dose at 6 months or 12 months it slowed progression of joint space loss or cartilage thinning and was associated with an increase in cartilage thickness. Watch here.

Women with osteoporosis had reduction in vertebral, nonvertebral fractures with abaloparatide, alendronate

Robin K. Dore, MD, spoke about results of the ACTIVExtend trial of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. She said results showed that women who received abaloparatide for 18 months followed by 24 months of alendronate had a sustained decrease of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures compared to women who received placebo followed by alendronate. Watch here.