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Lana Pine is the editor of HCPLive Rheumatology. She is an experienced editor and technical writer with a demonstrated history of working in the banking and publishing industries. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, yoga, listening to podcasts, and drawing. She can be reached via email at LPine@mjhlifesciences.com.

Treatment with abatacept was shown to decelerate the progression of atherosclerosis, which could be useful for patients with a high risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study published in 

New treatments, including biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) has been proven to improve the prognosis and quality of life in patients with 

. Older patients (aged ≥ 65 years) are at a higher risk of developing infections due to bDMARD use. These patients are also more likely to exhibit comorbidities and be treated with > 1 medications, which can hinder the control of disease activity. However, malignancy, risk of infection, and treatment-related complications linked to specific b/tsDMARDs remain inconclusive.

“RA is a chronic disease that requires long-term treatment, and there seems to be a large variability across different drugs,” wrote a group of Japanese investigators predominately associated with the Toho University School of Medicine. “Thus, it is vital to attain disease control by considering each patient’s needs and selecting the medication that would lead to the most benefits in terms of joint and cardiovascular outcomes.”

To better understand atherosclerosis among a cohort of patients with RA, investigators evaluated the 3-year efficacy and safety in a population of older and younger patients. Eligible patients had clinically diagnosed RA, had a history of being refractory to treatment with csDMARDs, were bDMARD-naïve, and provided written consent.

The open-label, prospective, observational study stratified patients into 4 groups: patients receiving abatacept among younger (aged 20 — 64 years) and older (aged ≥ 65 years) groups (AY and AO, respectively) and patients treated with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) among younger and older groups (CY and CO, respectively).

The primary endpoints were changes from baseline in mean intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery, IMT max, and plaque score at week 156. Other endpoints of interest were retention rate, disease activity, and adverse effects.

A total of 216 patients were included in the study, of which 52 were placed in the AY cohort, 73 were placed in the AO cohort, 41 were in the CY cohort, and 50 were in the CO cohort. Among the abatacept groups, patients had a mean age of 51.9 years compared with 52.1 years in the csDMARDs group. Disease activity and physical function were higher in the abatacept group compared with the csDMARDs group. Atherosclerosis parameters were higher among older patients in both cohorts.

Patients in both abatacept groups experienced smaller increases in mean IMT, max IMT, and plaque score compared with both csDMARD cohorts at the end of the study. However, differences between groups were not statistically significant.

Results of the multivariate analysis demonstrated significantly lower increases in plaque score in the abatacept cohort compared with csDMARDs when accounting for disease activity at 156 weeks (

= .0303). Additionally, the proportion of patients with good or good/moderate European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response were higher in patients receiving abatacept, with no significant differences observed between the older and younger patients. No significant differences were observed in retention rates among older and younger patients receiving abatacept.

Although serious adverse effects, specifically infection, were more frequent in the abatacept cohort compared with csDMARDs, no significant differences were reported.

Investigators noted the observational study design, relatively small sample size, and limited number of cases as limitations. Generalizability was also limited due to the exclusively Japanese population.

“Abatacept may be useful for patients with high risk for cardiovascular disease, such as older patients,” investigators concluded.

Yamada Z, Muraoka S, Kawazoe M, et al. Long-term effects of abatacept on atherosclerosis and arthritis in older vs. younger patients with rheumatoid arthritis: 3-year results of a prospective, multicenter, observational study. 

. 2024;26(1):87. Published 2024 Apr 17. doi:10.1186/s13075-024-03323-8

Askling J, Fahrbach K, Nordstrom B, Ross S, Schmid CH, Symmons D. Cancer risk with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) inhibitors: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab using patient level data. Pharmacoepidermiol Drug Saf. 2011;20:119–30. https://doi.org/10.1002/pds.2046.

Articles

Patients receiving abatacept experienced smaller increases in mean IMT, max IMT, and plaque score compared with the csDMARD cohorts. 

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The HCPLive rheumatoid arthritis page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on arthritis. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for RA, and more.

Abatacept Treatment May Slow Atherosclerosis Progression 

Connor Iapoce is an associate editor for 

 and joined the MJH Life Sciences team in April 2021. He graduated from The College of New Jersey with a degree in Journalism and Professional Writing. He enjoys listening to records, going to concerts, and playing with his cat Squish. You can reach him at 

A new evaluation measured the strengths and limitations of the responses of multiple artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, including ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard, in answering 

Overall, AI chatbot response accuracy was below that of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) glaucoma-related patient education brochures. However, the accuracy scores of Bing and ChatGPT were only slightly behind the handout, suggesting their utility for glaucoma patient education.

“With an estimated 43% of glaucoma patients utilizing the Internet for medical information, it is essential for physicians to understand both the information AI chatbots provide and how it is provided, such that physicians are best equipped to guide patient education and improve patient adherence,” wrote the investigative team, led by Natasha N. Kolomeyer, MD, Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital.

Visual outcomes of glaucoma are contingent on adherence to treatment regimens, a factor often influenced by patient education.

 Eye care specialists are typically a source of education, but nearly half of patients with glaucoma have utilized the Internet for medical information. Quality and harm of online medical resources can vary widely across resources and patients can become inundated with information.

AI-based chatbots represent a new avenue for a direct and interactive form of acquiring medical information online.

 However, as AI-based chatbots could serve as patients' primary source of medical information, it is essential to characterize the information they provide to allow providers to modify discussions, anticipate patient concerns, and identify misleading information.

Led by Kolomeyer, the study compared glaucoma information responses between available chatbots, including ChatGPT-4 by OpenAI, Bard by Google, and Bing by Microsoft, by measuring response accuracy, comprehensiveness, readability, word count, and character count, and in comparison, to AAO patient materials. Section headers from the most recent AAO glaucoma-related patient education brochures were transformed into question form, suitable for input into AI chatbots.

In April 2023, 19 questions were input into three AI chatbots 5 times each to generate five unique glaucoma response sets. A team of three independent glaucoma fellowship-trained ophthalmologists assessed the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the AAO brochure information and AI chatbot responses on a 1–5 scale.

Upon analysis, the accuracy scores for AAO, ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard were identified as 4.84, 4.26, 4.53, and 3.52, respectively. On direct comparison, AAO was found to be more accurate than ChatGPT (

 <.001), ChatGPT was more accurate than Bard (

 = .002), and Bing was more accurate than Bard (

Moreover, ChatGPT demonstrated the most comprehensive responses (versus Bing, 

 = .008) compared with the other chatbots. The scores for ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard were 3.32, 2.16, and 2.79, respectively. Responses from the Bing chatbot demonstrated the lowest word and character counts (all 

Regarding readability, assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, AAO brochure information and Bard responses were at the most accessible readability levels (versus all other chatbots, 

 <.0001). The readability levels for AAO, ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard were at 8.11, 13.01, 11.73, and 7.90, respectively.

Although the accuracy of responses is crucial for a patient education resource, Kolomeyer and colleagues pointed to insufficient results as a boon that does not equip patients with relevant and necessary disease-specific information. Instead, it could provide a false assurance that leads them to opt out of speaking with their physician.

Particularly, the team pointed to the comprehensiveness score of ChatGPT suggesting superiority over the AAO brochures, despite the brochures including critical concepts that patients may not independently input into chatbots. As AI chatbots only answer what is asked, Kolomeyer and colleagues noted the potential for fewer questions, and ultimately, less disease-specific information being obtained by patients.

“AI developers can improve glaucoma-related chatbot responses by improving readability and reducing inaccuracies with the use of more accurate online sources and glaucoma specialists,” they wrote. “With improvements, AI chatbots may be a useful supplementary source of glaucoma information to enhance patient education in the future.”

Yalla GR, Hyman N, Hock LE, Zhang Q, Shukla AG, Kolomeyer NN. Performance of Artificial Intelligence Chatbots on Glaucoma Questions Adapted From Patient Brochures. Cureus. 2024;16(3):e56766. Published 2024 Mar 23. doi:10.7759/cureus.56766

Quaranta, L., Novella, A., Tettamanti, M. et al. Adherence and Persistence to Medical Therapy in Glaucoma: An Overview. Ophthalmol Ther 12, 2227–2240 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40123-023-00730-z

Dave AD, Zhu D. Ophthalmology Inquiries on Reddit: What Should Physicians Know?. Clin Ophthalmol. 2022;16:2923-2931 https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTH.S375822

Potapenko I, Boberg-Ans LC, Stormly Hansen M, Klefter ON, van Dijk EHC, Subhi Y. Artificial intelligence-based chatbot patient information on common retinal diseases using ChatGPT. Acta Ophthalmol. 2023;101(7):829-831. doi:10.1111/aos.15661

Article intelligence chatbots, including ChatGPT and Bard, varied in accuracy, comprehensiveness, and readability on glaucoma questions adapted from patient brochures. 

Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into ophthalmic disease can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on eye disease research, treatment, and drug development.

AI Chatbots Show Promise as Patient Information Source for Glaucoma

, AVT05, met its primary endpoints in a confirmatory clinical study evaluating the biosimilar for the treatment of moderate to severe 

“We are delighted at passing yet another clinical milestone in our pipeline,” Robert Wessman, Chairman and CEO of Alvotech, said in a statement. “We intend to file marketing applications for AVT05 in major global markets this year, which adds to the continued diversification of our portfolio and further demonstrates the capabilities of our biosimilar-dedicated platform.”

Alvotech, the first company to announce positive results from a trial evaluating a golimumab biosimilar, is only 1 of 2 companies to have initiated a patient study in this area.

AVT04 inhibits tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which has been shown to impact several chronic inflammatory diseases, including RA, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and anylosing spondylitis. The biosimilar has not been granted regulatory approval in any country and biosimilarity has not been established by regulatory authorities.

Results of a previous retrospective, longitudinal, single-arm study using the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry to evaluate disease activity in patients switching from intravenous infliximab to intravenous golimumab indicated golimumab was an effective therapy for RA. The registry contains information about demographics, laboratory results, disease activity, diagnoses, medication, and procedures from 1.6 million patients.

At enrollment, most adult patients with RA reported moderate to high disease activity (Clinical Disease Activity Index [CDAI]: 73% [38/52]). The mean age was 65.3 years, 81% were female, and 74% were White. Of the eligible patients with a baseline and follow-up rheumatoid arthritis disease activity (RADA) measure, 100 and 63 had -golimumab persistence at the ≥ 6 and ≥ 9 month follow-ups, respectively.

Of the 52 patients with CDAI information available at 6 months, patients showed significant improvements in disease activity, with scores improving from 21.3 to 14.1 (

 <.0001), which remained through 12 months. Disease activity decreased from 73% to 56% and low or remitted disease activity increased from 27% to 44% (

The randomized, double-blind, 2-arm, multicenter confirmatory clinical study, AVT05-GL-C01, was designed to determine the safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity between the proposed biosimilar and reference drug in patients with moderate to severe RA. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline to week 16 in Disease Activity Score-28 for Rheumatoid Arthritis with C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP).

At the end of the trial, the study met its primary outcome, indicating therapeutic equivalence between the biosimilar and reference product. Further, there were no clinically meaningful differences in safety through week 24.

Previously, Alvotech announced positive topline results from another pharmacokinetic study for the biosimilar, which evaluated the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of AVT05 compared with the European-approved and US-licensed reference product in a cohort of 336 health adult patients. In this study, all participants received a single dose of each study treatment via subcutaneous injections of 50 mg/.5 mL pre-filled syringes.

Regarding the recent developments of the TNF-α inhibitor, Momna Ali, healthcare analyst at GlobalData said, “Despite the mature RA market, there is an unmet need, particularly concerning cost-effective therapies and earlier diagnosis. Although biosimilarity has not been established yet, the fact that AVT05 has progressed to phase 3 alludes to a promising pipeline candidate.”

Alvotech. Alvotech announces topline results from a confirmatory clinical study for AVT05, a proposed biosimilar for Simponi® (golimumab). GlobeNewswire News Room. April 24, 2024. Accessed April 24, 2024. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/04/24/2868336/0/en/Alvotech-Announces-Topline-Results-from-a-Confirmatory-Clinical-Study-for-AVT05-a-Proposed-Biosimilar-for-Simponi-golimumab.html.

Pine L. Golimumab improves disease activity in patients with RA. HCP Live. February 28, 2023. Accessed April 24, 2024. https://www.hcplive.com/view/golimumab-improves-disease-activity-in-patients-with-ra.

Cameron I. Alvotech’s avt05 emerges as leading contender in rheumatoid arthritis market. biopharma. October 12, 2023. Accessed April 24, 2024. https://www.biopharma-reporter.com/Article/2023/10/12/alvotech-s-avt05-emerges-as-leading-contender-in-rheumatoid-arthritis-market?utm_source=copyright&utm_medium=OnSite&utm_campaign=copyright.

At the end of the trial, the study met its primary outcome, indicating therapeutic equivalence between the biosimilar (AVT05) and reference golimumab. 

Biosimilars

Proposed Golimumab Biosimilar AVT05 Meets Primary Endpoints in Moderate to Severe RA 

A new observational study investigated the prognostic factors for colchicine prophylaxis-related adverse events after initiation of allopurinol, a common treatment for flare prevention after beginning urate-lowering therapy for 

People with gout were provided colchicine prophylaxis despite often being prescribed medications with the potential to interact with colchicine. Ultimately, the rate of adverse events was more frequent in those who were older, had more comorbidities, and were prescribed certain medications, while serious adverse events were rare.

“Our findings will provide much-needed information about the safety of flare prophylaxis that can inform treatment decisions when initiating allopurinol, directly benefitting people with gout and their clinicians,” wrote the investigative team, led by Ram Bajpai, PhD, school of medicine, Keele University.

A condition characterized by recurrent flares of painful joint pain and inflammation, gout has been linked with substantial comorbidity and reduced health-related quality of life.

 Urate-lowering therapy (ULT) for gout can lead to the cessation of flares. Still, initiating or escalating ULT can precede a gout flare, which can lead to the stopping of the therapy by patients or practitioners.

Anti-inflammatory prophylaxis, to manage flares, commonly with colchicine, is recommended for a short period when initiating ULT.

 Patient characteristics may influence the side effects of anti-inflammatory prophylaxis. However, evidence on the factors prognostic for adverse events is often anecdotal, lacking large research studies.

Here, the investigative team sought to evaluate how co-prescriptions and other potential prognostic factors affect the risk of adverse events when initiating colchicine prophylaxis for ULT in people with gout.

 The retrospective cohort study used the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPDR) databases and primary care data linked to the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) datasets from April 1997 to the present.

Adults receiving a prescription for allopurinol and colchicine for a diagnosis of gout between April 1997 and November 2016 were included in the retrospective cohorts. All patients were followed up for 6 months or until the end of colchicine treatment, defined as 56 days after the last colchicine prescription.

Bajpai and colleagues analyzed events of interest including diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, myocardial infarction, neuropathy, myalgia, myopathy, rhabdomyolysis, and bone marrow suppression. Prescriptions for medications that could interact with colchicine treatment, including statins, in the 30 days before the index date were considered as potential interactors.

The analysis considered factors that could be associated with the rate of adverse outcomes, including age in quartiles, sex, Charlson comorbidity index, body mass index (BMI), chronic kidney disease (CKD) category, and the potentially interacting prescriptions.

During the study period, 13,945 people with gout initiated allopurinol with colchicine prophylaxis. Patients had a mean age of 63.9 years and more than two-thirds (78.2%) of the population were male. Approximately one-quarter (0.26; 95% CI, 0.25 - 0.27) of participants were prescribed ≥1 potentially adverse prescription, with statins being the most common prescription (0.21; 95% CI, 0.20 - 0.22).

Overall, there was no significantly increased risk of any adverse outcomes with the prescription of statins or digoxin. However, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting were generally higher with older age and in female patients. The rates of myocardial infarction were higher at older ages.

After adjustment for age and sex, Bajpai and colleagues found significant associations between patient-related prognostic factors and adverse outcomes in the Charlson comorbidity index 2-4 for diarrhea and the Charlson comorbidity index ≥4 and CKD stage 4-5 for myocardial infarction.

“Reassuringly, the rate of serious adverse events was low, providing reassurance for people with gout and for clinicians,” they wrote. “We also found no evidence that the prescription of statins significantly increased the risk of adverse events except atorvastatin being associated with myocardial infarction.”

Bajpai R, Partington R, Muller S, et al. Prognostic factors for colchicine prophylaxis-related adverse events when initiating allopurinol for gout: retrospective cohort study. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published online April 18, 2024. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keae229

Chandratre P, Mallen C, Richardson J, Muller S, Hider S, Rome K et al. Healthrelated quality of life in gout in primary care: baseline findings from a cohort study. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2018;48: 61–69

FitzGerald, JD, Dalbeth N, Mikuls T, Brignardello-Petersen R, Guyatt G, Abeles AM et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout. Arthritis Rheumatol 2020;72:879–95.

An observational study in the UK investigated the risk of adverse events related to colchicine prophylaxis after receiving allopurinol for gout.

Gout

On the HCPLive gout page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into gouty arthritis can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on gout, and more.

Patient Factors Predictive of Colchicine-Related Adverse Events in Gout

A new study found intensive topical treatment not only curbs the itchy sensation for patients with psoriasis or 

“After only 2 weeks of intensive topical therapy, there was a significant improvement in deep sleep and REM sleep in both patient groups, more so in [atopic dermatitis] patients than in [psoriasis] patients,” wrote investigators, led by Caroline Mann, MD, department of dermatology at University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany.

Many dermatologic conditions are linked with sleep disorders as skin irritation may make it more difficult to fall asleep or stay in deep sleep.

However, not a lot of evidence exists on how therapy for these patients may improve sleep quality.

Investigators conducted a study to study the sleep patterns in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, as well as if therapy improved sleep patterns. The treatment included basic care and anti-inflammatory topicals, such as class II – III steroids, daily for 2 weeks. The team also assessed for the disease activity rating, patient-rated outcomes for itch severity, sleep quality, and polygraphy before and after the therapy.

The team collected 25 participants from the department of dermatology at University Medical Center in Mainz, Germany. Patients (mean age: 49 years) had either psoriasis (n = 14) or atopic dermatitis (females, n = 20; males, n = 15) and were treated with only intensive topical treatment to avoid potential systemic effects. Investigators evaluated sleep quality changes before and 2 weeks after the treatment.

Disease activity was measured through the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Patient-rated outcomes were assessed using the Dermatology Quality of Life Index, the Numeric Rating Scale for pruritus intensity, and the Itchy Quality of Life. Sleep was measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).

Sleep patterns were recorded with polysomnography, which includes sensors for electroencephalogram (EEG), electrooculogram (EOG). In this study, the polygraphy device recorded N3 percentage, REM percentage, and Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) through respiratory monitoring, sleep efficiency, and sleep latency.

Disease activity scores (EASI and PASI) were significantly reduced with topical therapy after 2 weeks (P < .001). The PASI in patients with psoriasis decreased from 10.46 (SD ± 1.30) at the beginning of treatment to 5.65 (SD ± 0.91) after the 2 weeks. The pruritus intensity scale demonstrated a significant improvement in deep sleep, resolved after therapy.

Insomnia severity significantly reduced (r > .50; P < .05) and daytime sleepiness decreased considerably in 40% of patients. Additionally, deep sleep and REM sleep significantly improved with a strong effect (r > .50). The team saw the apnea-hypopnea index reduced in 1 of 4 patients regardless of the individual BMI.

After topical therapy, deep sleep rose from baseline to 2 years for patients with both atopic dermatitis (from 5.98% to 16.83%; P = .003) and psoriasis (from 6.1% to 12.33%; P = .016)).

REM SLEEP ALSO improved for patients with atopic dermatitis (5.68% to 11.98; 

Patients with atopic dermatitis have a decreased Apnea-Hypnea Index (AHI) score after treatment (15.15 to 12.4) but it was not significant (P = .0273). The AHI also reduced for patients with psoriasis (20.16 at baseline to 18.27), and this time, the effect was moderate.

Sleep efficacy and sleep onset latency increased in score but the data was not significant for patients with atopic dermatitis (P = .13; P = .44) and psoriasis (P = .845; P = 0.969).

Investigators outlined multiple limitations, including not age or gender matching the participants, having different stages of disease activity, and the small sample size.

“The results provide insight into the relevance of itch in [psoriasis] patients and raise questions about other possible factors,” the team concluded. “Itch appears to have a significant effect on deep sleep and therapeutic intervention with topicals may explain the rapid improvement. However, reducing skin inflammation also seems to have a significant impact on sleep, as shown in this pilot study.”

Mann C, Dreher M, Rothschmidt JN, Staubach P. Burden of impaired sleep and its improvement through topical treatment in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. 

. Published online April 18, 2024. doi:10.1111/ddg.15373

Andrus, E. Sleep Disorders Associated with Dermatologic Conditions. 

https://www.dermatologytimes.com/view/sleep-disorders-associated-with-dermatologic-conditions

A new study found intensive topical therapy improves deep sleep and REM sleep for patients with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis after 2 weeks.

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The HCPLive plaque psoriasis page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on psoriasis. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for psoriatic disease, and more.

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On the HCPLive sleep page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into sleep medicine can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and more.

Sleep of Psoriasis Patients Improves with Intensive Topical Treatment

Patrick Campbell is the managing editor of HCPLive. Formerly the editorial lead of Endocrinology Network, Practical Cardiology, and Rheumatology Network, Patrick has spent years spearheading coverage surrounding cardiometabolic health and rheumatic disease for MJH Life Sciences. He now helps to lead coverage in each of these respective areas for HCPLive. Before joining MJH Life Sciences in 2019, he spent time as a beat reporter with the Pocono Record in Stroudsburg, PA, and Star News Group in Manasquan, NJ. He also touts experience in multimedia, having spent time as a multimedia specialist with NJ Advance Media and multimedia coordinator at the Pocono Record. Follow him on Twitter @RealPatCampbell or reach him via email at PCampbell@mjhlifesciences.com.

A recent meta-analysis of more than 60 studies suggests guselkumab and risankizumab had the longest drug survival of IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors for psoriasis. 

Guselkumab, Risankizumab Boast Longest Drug Survival Among IL-17, IL-23 Inhibitors 

Abigail Brooks is an assistant editor for 

She joined MJH Life Sciences in August 2023 shortly after graduating from Monmouth University where she earned her BA in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations/Journalism and later an MA in Interactive Digital Media. She enjoys traveling, running, and reading books. She can be reached at abrooks@mjhlifesciences.com.

Positive topline results showed treatment response consistent with NefIgArd findings, regardless of whether participants had previously been treated with Nefecon or placebo.

Nephrology

The HCPLive nephrology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on kidney disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments in nephrology, and more.

IgA Nephropathy

The HCPLive Berger disease page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on IgA nephropathy. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments in Berger disease, and more.

Calliditas Announces Open Label Extension Results for Budesonide (Nefecon) in IgA Nephropathy

Tim Smith joined the MJH Life Sciences team as an assistant editor for HCPLive in August 2022. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in political science, working in multimedia journalism as a staff writer prior to joining MJH. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching TV, listening to podcasts, and rock climbing. You can contact him at 

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In this interview, Chun discussed recommendations for internal medicine physicians to give older adults for slowing aging as well as evidence for statins.

Internal Medicine

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Audrey Chun, MD: Practical Recommendations to Give Older Patients for Exercise, Cognitive Health

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Balmes discusses the latest annual State of the Air Report, which shows that 131 million Americans are living in areas with failing air quality grades.

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Lungcast

Join the American Lung Association and HCPLive every month as Dr. Al Rizzo interviews world-leading experts on the great challenges, accomplishments, and stories in respiratory medicine.

2024 State of the Air: Record Highs in US Particle Pollution, with John Balmes, MD

In an interview with HCPLive, Larry Ereshefsky, PharmD, discussed the phase 3 RECOVER trial assessing brilaroxazine at 50 mg and 15 mg for acute schziophrenia.

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Psychiatry condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on mental illnesses. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and more.

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The HCPLive schizophrenia page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on the mental disorder. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for schizophrenia, and more.

  Phase 3 Data on Brilaroxazine for Schizophrenia with Larry Ereshefsky, PharmD

Study Details Epitope Binding, Efficacy of IL-23 Inhibitors in Plaque Psoriasis

Solomon explains how the health care system contributes to climate change and the direct health impacts seen as a result, based on her session at ACP.

Caren Solomon, MD, MPH: Health Impacts of Climate Change, Health Care’s Contribution

Treatment with risankizumab was shown to be an effective strategy among patients with PsA regardless of varying demographic and psoriatic disease characteristics through 1 year. 

Psoriatic Arthritis

On the HCPLive psoriatic arthritis page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into PsA can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on arthritis, and more.

Long-term Risankizumab Treatment Outperforms Placebo in PsA 

Thoracic ultrasound examination may be applicable as a screening method for interstitial lung disease in patients with RA and respiratory symptoms.

Thoracic Ultrasound Refines Detection of ILD in Rheumatoid Arthritis

After being prescribed another urate lowering therapy for ≥ 30 days, only 51.0% of patients were able to achieve SU < 6 mg/dL. 

Latest News

Abatacept Treatment May Slow Atherosclerosis Progression

AI Chatbots Show Promise as Patient Information Source for Glaucoma

Proposed Golimumab Biosimilar AVT05 Meets Primary Endpoints in Moderate to Severe RA

Patient Factors Predictive of Colchicine-Related Adverse Events in Gout

Sleep of Psoriasis Patients Improves with Intensive Topical Treatment