Trending News Today: Biologics Associated with Better Bone Density, Function in Psoriatic Arthritis

A new study showed that treatment with biologics appear to be associated with better bone structure and function for patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), The American Journal of Managed Care reported. The study included 165 patients with PsA who were categorized into 3 groups: those treated with methotrexate only, those treated with biologics only, and patients who received no disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) over the last 6 months. Overall, the group treated with biologics exhibited better bone density as well as higher stiffness and failure load estimates than those who took no DMARDs, the article reported.

Officials with the FDA issued a warning letter to Curaleaf for making unsubstantiated claims about their cannabidiol (CBD) products, Total Pharmacy reported. According to the article, the company had made unfounded claims about more than a dozen different CBD products, including claims that CBD can treat cancer, Parkinson disease, and opioid withdrawal. Curaleaf, which sells CBD products marketed to consumers as creams, oil drops, capsules, syrups, and teas, will have 15 days to formulate responses to the letter, the article reported.

A recent study found that patients at high risk for heart disease who cannot afford cholesterol-lowering PCSK9 inhibitors may be more likely to have a cardiovascular event, Reuters reported. According to the article, the researchers analyzed health care claims data on 139,036 adults with hypercholesterolemia who were prescribed a PCSK9 inhibitor between August 2015 and December 2017. Patients whose prescriptions had been rejected by insurers and patients who never filled their prescriptions had a 16% and 21% increased risk of cardiovascular events, respectively, within 1 year, the article reported.