Scleroderma News

The United Rheumatology Spring National Meeting will offer attendees lectures on cutting edge topics such as genomics and transcriptomics in addition to a range of continuing medical education activities. But the real appeal of United Rheumatology, and of the meeting, will be the guidance that can be provided to independent rheumatologists regarding practice management strategies and interacting with payers.

The FDA has approved the first treatment — nintedanib oral capsules — to treat patients with chronic fibrosing interstitial lung diseases with a progressive phenotype, according to a press release from the agency.

Approximately 35% of relevant industry payments to U.S.-based authors of American College of Rheumatology clinical practice guidelines remain undisclosed, according to findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

MAUI, Hawaii — Given that a number of clinical factors, such as digital ulcers or pulmonary arterial hypertension, occur in about 15% of patients with scleroderma, a presenter at the 2020 Rheumatology Winter Clinical Symposium proposed a “15% rule of thumb” to help identify these patients.

The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to an investigational intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for the treatment of systemic sclerosis, according to a press release from CSL Behring.

Patients with systemic sclerosis are at a significantly higher risk for gastrointestinal bleeding compared with those without the disease, according to data published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Patients with digital ulcers related to systemic sclerosis experience worse disease burden, worse quality of life and an excess annual cost of AUD $12,474 per patient driven largely by hospital and ED admissions, according to findings published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Approximately 61% of patients with systemic sclerosis who are employed report unmet workplace support needs, and more than 80% identified extended health benefits as their most needed workplace support, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

The rheumatology community lost clinician and educator Calvin R. Brown, MD, on Dec. 1, 2019. He was 66 years old. His final years were spent at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, practicing rheumatology and training fellows in the specialty.

Intense dust cloud inhalation, as well as PTSD, experienced by first responders and community members present at the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in New York are associated with a significant increased risk for systemic autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, according to findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.