OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of additional administration of tacrolimus to rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with biologics, in whom the effect of biologics is unsatisfactory. METHODS Tacrolimus was administered if the effect of biologics was unsatisfactory for 24 weeks at least in terms of laboratory data or DAS28 level: ESR, CRP level and DAS28 level were not below 15 mm/h, 0.2 mg/dl...

Background: In the last years, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection management has completely changed. However, the role of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and the correct timing of antiviral drugs administration in IBD patients needing biologics has not been evaluated. Objective: To discuss the management of HCV-infected IBD patients, focusing our attention on...

BACKGROUND Studies have examined the extent to which public policies such as the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act have increased pediatric information in drug labeling. Little attention has focused on pediatric labeling of biologics. This analysis examines the extent to which biologics are labeled for pediatric use or have been studied in children. METHODS The analysis covers the 96 biol...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) between patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) being treated with biologics and those being treated without biologics. METHODS From 8,630 patients with RA in our institution, we enrolled 24 patients who had developed PCP during the course of their treatment. They were divided into two ...

Biologics are essential to oncology care. As patents for older biologics begin to expire, the United States is developing an abbreviated regulatory process for the approval of similar biologics (biosimilars), which raises important considerations for the safe and appropriate incorporation of biosimilars into clinical practice for patients with cancer. The potential for biosimilars to reduce the...

Background: There is no standardized therapeutic protocol for relapsing polychondritis (RP). Emergence of biologics holds much hope in the management of this connective tissue disease. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of biologics in patients with active RP. Methods: A systematic review of the literature using PubMed was performed through December 2010. MeSH terms and keywords we...

UNLABELLED OBJECTIVE; With the increasing use of biologics in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, the Hong Kong IBD Society developed a set of consensus statements intended to serve as local recommendations for clinicians about the appropriate use of biologics for treating inflammatory bowel disease. PARTICIPANTS The consensus meeting was held on 9 July 2011 in Hong Kong. Draft consensu...

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Crohn ́s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) refractory to conventional treatment are treated with biologics despite their high costs. In order to allocate healthcare spending efficiently, biologics for IBDs are an important target for cost-effectiveness analyses. The aim of this study was to systemically review all published literature on the cost-effect...

BACKGROUND Tofacitinib is the first oral Janus kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We compared the effectiveness and safety of tofacitinib, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), and non-TNF biologics in patients with RA previously treated with methotrexate. METHODS We used MarketScan® databases (2011-2014...

BACKGROUND Biologics containing growth factors are frequently used to enhance healing after musculoskeletal injuries. One mechanism of action is thought to be though the ability of biologics to induce homing and migration of endogenous mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to a target tissue. However, the ability of biologics to stimulate chemotaxis (directed migration of cells) and chemokinesis (in...