Juvenile Arthritis News

There have been nearly 1,100 measles cases in the United States in the first half of 2019 — more cases of measles than in any year since the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. As of July 25, 30 states have reported cases of measles, with outbreaks currently ongoing in five jurisdictions across the country.

Consuming moderate amounts of heavy metals contained in fish during pregnancy or early childhood may adversely impact the child’s immune system, potentially resulting in juvenile idiopathic arthritis, according to findings published in Pediatric Rheumatology.

The FDA has approved the fourth biosimilar to adalimumab, adalimumab-bwwd, for all eligible indications of the biologic product, according to a company press release.

Nephritis, clinical trials and biomarkers rank highest among research priorities related to childhood-onset systematic lupus erythematosus, according to a survey of rheumatologists, dermatologists and nephrologists published in Pediatric Rheumatology.

A group of international researchers writing in Pediatric Rheumatology have proposed a plan for tapering and discontinuing glucocorticoids in patients with juvenile-onset dermatomyositis, based on changes in core set measures of disease activity in the first 6 months of treatment.

Political activism is more accessible than ever thanks to the amplification offered by social media, and rheumatologists can use social media — particularly Twitter — to advocate for the profession and their patients, according to Angus Worthing, MD, private practice rheumatologist and chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the American College of Rheumatology.

Three studies presented at the EULAR Annual Congress demonstrated the safety and efficacy of different vaccinations in several patient populations with rheumatic diseases.

Amgen is currently embroiled in two pivotal court cases surrounding patents for its bestselling etanercept product that could protect it from competition in the United States for another decade.

Etanercept is well-tolerated and safe for up to 6 years in patients with extended oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and enthesitis-related arthritis, according to data published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Although rheumatologists overwhelmingly agree on the use of conventional synthetic DMARDs and biologic drugs for inflammatory arthritis in patients with planned pregnancies, there appears to be little consensus on when to suspend drugs and how to handle unplanned pregnancies, according to survey data in BMC Rheumatology.