Laura is the vice president of content for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and all its brands, including The American Journal of Accountable Care®, Evidence-Based Oncology™, and The Center for Biosimilars®. She has been working on AJMC® since 2014 and has been with AJMC®’s parent company, MJH Life Sciences®, since 2011.
She has an MA in business and economic reporting from New York University. You can connect with Laura on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Fatigue Is Prevalent and Corresponds to Disease Severity in Asian Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis
Most studies have evaluated PsA-associated fatigue in western populations. A new study has highlighted that PsA-associated fatigue is also prevalent in an Asian population and correlates with disease activity, impact, and chronicity.
Specialty Drug Spending After State-Mandated Out-of-Pocket Caps
Despite concerns, legislation to cap out-of-pocket payments for specialty drugs has not been shown to shift costs to health plans, thereby increasing insurance premiums, according to a study published in New England Journal of Medicine.
Need for Improved CVD Prevention in Patients With RA
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), because inflammation plays a pivotal role in the development of CVD. However, there is a need for greater improvement of CVD risk prevention.
ACR Issues Advice on Reopening Clinics During the COVID-19 Pandemic
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, clinics have closed to varying degrees. As clinics look to reopen or welcome back patients after a COVID-19 infection, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has released advice on strategies for reopening practices as the pandemic continues.
The Race to Find a COVID-19 Vaccine
The race for a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine is one of the most urgent public health challenges, with multiple vaccine candidates entering phase 3 trials and case counts around the world steadily climbing. MJH Life Sciences™ will host a free webinar with the top minds in infectious disease, virology, and vaccinology to discuss the latest trial information on vaccines.
Tocilizumab Caused Serious AEs in a Quarter of Children With Rheumatic Inflammatory Diseases
In children with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, tocilizumab can cause serious adverse events (AEs), with children who were younger at disease onset and at time of tocilizumab initiation especially affected.
Secukinumab Dose Escalation, Retention Rate, and Safety in Real-World Settings
In 2 studies of secukinumab use in real-world settings, researchers identified the usefulness of dose escalation in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), as well as the safety, retention rate, and factors associated with drug survival among patients with PsA and ankylosing spondyloarthritis.
Therapy Provides Readily Available Stem Cell Source to Treat Rare Genetic Diseases
Umbilical cord blood provides a readily available source of stem cells to provide better access to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to safely and effectively treat various noncancerous genetic disorders in children.
Experimental Vaccines Show Promise Against COVID-19 in Healthy Subjects
Two experimental vaccines, one from AstraZeneca and the other from CanSino Biologics, have shown promising results against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a phase 1/2 trial and a phase 2 trial. Results for both were published in The Lancet.
Indirect Nonhealth Care Costs Drive Total Costs in Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis
Psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis have high economic burdens and the total annual costs were similar between the 2 diseases, but the combination of both yielded the highest costs, according to an abstract published at the European League Against Rheumatism annual meeting.
Predicting Flares of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity
Research identified a new type of cell that is in the blood during the period before a rheumatoid arthritis flare and may be used to predict a flare in the weeks before one occurs, according to research published in New England Journal of Medicine.
Assessing the Frequency and Impact of Autoimmune Diseases With Hematological Disorders
Two abstracts presented at the European Hematology Association's annual meeting evaluated the frequency of myeloid malignancies in patients with autoimmune disease and the impact autoimmune diseases have on patients with sickle cell disease.
FDA Approves At-Home Therapy to Treat Myelodysplastic Syndromes
A new oral therapy approved by the FDA will provide patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, who typically visit a health care facility for intravenous treatment, with an oral at-home option that can be beneficial during the coronavirus pandemic.
Factors Affecting Efficacy of Secukinumab in Psoriatic Arthritis and Axial Spondyloarthritis
Treatment options for psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis are increasing, and with studies already identifying response predictors for tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, there is a need to predict response to the interleukin-17A inhibitor secukinumab.
Patients With SLE Experienced Delayed Access to Hydroxychloroquine During COVID-19 Pandemic
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may consider hydroxychloroquine essential to their treatment, but after the drug was identified as a potential therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), patients with SLE experienced reduced access to the treatment, which could increase the risk of SLE flare.
FDA Lifts Partial Hold for Phase 2 Trial of R/R Hodgkin Lymphoma Therapy
FDA has lifted a partial clinical hold on a phase 2 trial of a treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) Hodgkin lymphoma from ADC Therapeutics. The trial of camidanlumab tesirine (Cami), an antibody drug conjugate that binds to CD25, is evaluating the safety and efficacy of the therapy and is intended to support the submission of a Biologics License Application to the FDA.