Objective. To evaluate barriers that prevent rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients from achieving Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) scores within the current recommended levels for low disease activity (LDA) or clinical remission (DAS28-ESR score <3.2). Methods. Using an electronic medical record program, clinical data for RA patients treated in Optimising Patient Outcomes in Australian Rheumatology clinics, with a recorded DAS28-ESR score, were collected at one point in time. The data included demographics, medications, disease measures, and the rheumatologist's opinion of the main barriers preventing improvement to the recommended DAS28 score. Results. Of the 4,037 patients with a recorded DAS28-ESR score, 304 patients (7.5%) had high disease activity (HDA) and 1,211 patients (30%) had moderate disease activity (MDA). For 584 HDA or MDA patients, the barriers to disease control (BTCs) were recorded by the rheumatologist when there was no adjustment to disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy. The recorded BTCs were irreversible joint damage (19.7%), patient-driven preference (14.7%), noninflammatory musculoskeletal pain (9.2%), insufficient time to assess the effect of recently initiated DMARDs (9.2%), safety concerns (7.5%), comorbidities (6.5%), resistant disease (6.3%), and other less common reasons. These patients received DMARDs (97.4%), including biologic agents (34.1%), methotrexate (74.8%), and oral corticosteroids (41.8%). Conclusion. This study identified clinical situations in which rheumatologists elected to continue RA patients with MDA or HDA on DMARD therapy without adjustment to achieve clinical remission or an LDA target of a DAS28-ESR score <3.2.

A case of halo dermatitis (eczema) around a pigmented naevus is reported. This appears to be a not uncommon condition which is not described in major dermatology textbooks. The relevant literature is reviewed, and the eponym 'Meyerson's naevus' is suggested.

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The act of nonmedical switching, defined as switching stable patients who are generally doing well with their current therapy from an originator biologic to its biosimilar, has been endorsed as a reasonable treatment strategy. The safety and efficacy of nonmedical switching have been evaluated in randomized controlled and real-world evidence studies, which have demonstrated that although many patients maintain treatment response after the switch, some patients experience therapy failure, resulting in therapy discontinuation. It has been postulated that the vast majority, if not all, of these treatment failures result from a ''nocebo effect'', defined as patients' negative expectations toward the therapy change. Reports suggest that the risk of a nocebo effect is higher following a mandated nonmedical switch. Although the nocebo effect is a well-recognized phenomenon in pain studies, evidence is limited in immune-mediated diseases primarily because it is difficult to quantify, especially retrospectively. In spite of this, numerous biosimilar studies in patients with immunemediated diseases have concluded that nonmedical switching failures are due to a nocebo effect. The objective of this narrative review was to explore the reasons for nonmedical switch failure or discontinuation and the role of the nocebo effect among patients with inflammatory rheumatic and gastrointestinal diseases who switched from an originator biologic to its biosimilar.

To investigate the design of prodrugs of antiviral nucleosides for targeting t o the central nervous system, the bis(4-acyloxybenzyl) esters of the 5'-monophosphate of AZT 5 (R = Me, Et, Pr' or Bur) have been prepared. The reaction of the appropriate bis(4-acyloxybenzyl) N,N-diisopropylphosphoramidite 10 (R = Me, Et, Pri or Bur) with AZT in the presence of 1 H-tetrazole, followed by oxidation of the PI'' intermediate with 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid gave the required triesters 5 in good yield. The lithium salts of the mono(4-acyloxybenzyl) esters of the 5'-phosphate of AZT 7 (R = Me, Et, Pr' or Bur) were prepared by treatment of the triesters 5 with lithium iodide. In the presence of porcine liver carboxyesterase the triesters 5 and diesters 7 decomposed readily t o the 5'-monophosphate of AZT 9. The anti-HIV activities of the triesters 5 and diesters 7 were, with one exception, comparable t o that of AZT, but the greater cytotoxicity of certain compounds in particular types of cell significantly reduced their selectivity indices.

No abstract

The combination of MTX and LEF was well tolerated, with adverse events comparable to those of monotherapy and the other nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment group.

ObjectivesTo determine if disease duration and number of prior disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) affect response to therapy in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsAssociations between disease duration or number of prior DMARDs and response to therapy were assessed using data from two randomised controlled trials in patients with established RA (mean duration, 11 years) receiving adalimumab+methotrexate. Response to therapy was assessed at week 24 using disease activity outcomes, including 28-joint Disease Activity Score based on C-reactive protein (DAS28(CRP)), Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and proportions of patients with 20%/50%/70% improvement in American College of Rheumatology (ACR) responses.ResultsIn the larger study (N=207), a greater number of prior DMARDs (>2 vs 0–1) was associated with smaller improvements in DAS28(CRP) (–1.8 vs –2.2), SDAI (–22.1 vs –26.9) and HAQ-DI (–0.43 vs –0.64) from baseline to week 24. RA duration of >10 years versus <1 year was associated with higher HAQ-DI scores (1.1 vs 0.7) at week 24, but results on DAS28(CRP) and SDAI were mixed. A greater number of prior DMARDs and longer RA duration were associated with lower ACR response rates at week 24. Data from the second trial (N=67) generally confirmed these findings.ConclusionsNumber of prior DMARDs and disease duration affect responses to therapy in patients with established RA. Furthermore, number of prior DMARDs, regardless of disease duration, has a limiting effect on the potential response to adalimumab therapy.