An international survey of current management practices for polymyalgia rheumatica by general practitioners and rheumatologists.

Objectives: To explore current management practices for PMR by general practitioners (GPs) and rheumatologists including implications for clinical trial recruitment.

Methods: An English language questionnaire was constructed by a working group of rheumatologists and GPs from six countries. The questionnaire focused on: 1: Respondent characteristics; 2: Referral practices; 3: Treatment with glucocorticoids; 4: Diagnostics; 5: Comorbidities; and 6: Barriers to research.

The Clinical Impact of Seropositivity on Treatment Response in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated with Etanercept: A Real-World Iraqi Experience.

Purpose: To assess the clinical impact of rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA)'s seropositivity on treatment response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with etanercept.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with RA registered in Baghdad Teaching Hospital Registry from May 2012 to August 2019 was conducted. Patients aged ≥18 years, meeting the ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria for RA, being treated with etanercept, and followed up at ≥1 year after etanercept initiation were included; patients who received any other biologics for RA were excluded.

Clinical Outcomes in Iraqi Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Following Earlier or Later Treatment with Etanercept.

Purpose: The development of evidence-based guidelines on early pharmacotherapeutic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) could be useful in Middle Eastern nations striving to improve outcomes in patients with this chronic, debilitating disease. Evidence obtained from local populations should inform such guidelines and therefore our aim was to use real-world data to evaluate the clinical responses of Iraqi patients with RA who received earlier or later treatment with the TNF inhibitor etanercept.

Patients And Methods: Data from patients registered in the Iraq National Center of Rheumatology database from May 2012 to December 2018, inclusive, were analyzed retrospectively.

Review of biologics, biosimilars, and intended copies in rheumatology, and current practice in Iraq.

Biologic therapies are an important option in the treatment of patients with rheumatic disease. As the development of potential biosimilars increases, many countries are following the guidelines developed by the WHO, European Medicines Agency, or US Food and Drug Administration to create country-specific regulations for the review and approval of these products. Iraq does not yet have such regulations, and this presents a potential safety concern for patients.