Juvenile Arthritis News

Rheumatology practices should provide written and verbal patient education, and supply adequate teaching for all staff, prior to nonmedical biosimilar switching for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, according to recommendation published in Pediatric Rheumatology.

The majority of physical therapists can accurately distinguish between inflammatory and noninflammatory arthritis and understand the importance of correct and prompt referrals to a rheumatologist for suspected inflammatory conditions, according to survey results published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Inflammatory arthritis caused by immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy can develop into a long-term condition even after treatment cessation, requiring immunomodulatory intervention, according to findings published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Adalimumab, with or without methotrexate, is well-tolerated over a period of at least 7 years among most children with polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis, according to data published Arthritis Care & Research.

A U.S. District Court judge has ruled in favor of Amgen in its lawsuit against Novartis’ Sandoz, which claimed patent infringement on its biologic etanercept by the biosimilar, etanercept-szzs.

ORLANDO — There are less then 350 pediatric rheumatologists currently practicing in the United States, representing a substantial barrier to care for the 300,000 children with arthritis, 30,000 with systemic lupus erythematosus and 3,000 with juvenile dermatomyositis across the country, according to Cathy Patty-Resk, MSN, RN-BC, CPNP-BC, president-elect of the Rheumatology Nurses Society.

ORLANDO — Treatment of pediatric patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis with medications available to their adult counterparts is often blocked by exclusions in insurance policies and outdated step therapy requirements, according to a presentation at the Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference.

Although most pediatric rheumatologists agree with published consensus treatment plans – and with each other regarding tapering steroids – for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, there is considerable disagreement related to tapering decisions for other drugs, according to survey data published in Pediatric Rheumatology.

Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis who were placed in a splint to encourage rest following intra-articular corticosteroid injection, or IACI, demonstrated no significant benefit against recurrent arthritis compared with those who were not given a splint, according to findings published in Pediatric Rheumatology.

Opening dialogue between regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies and clinicians to develop and implement novel clinical trial designs could be one possible way to increase access to new medicines for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, according to a commentary published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.