Aussie rheums explore patient outcomes for GCA

A core set of patient reported outcome measures (PROM) for patients undergoing treatment for Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) is being developed by Australian and UK clinicians.

The 40-item draft questionnaire, the first disease-specific PROM to explore the impact of GCA and its treatment on peoples’ health related quality of life (HRQoL), is based on interviews with participants with GCA from Australia and the UK and cover five domains including physical symptoms, activity of daily living and function, psychological impact and impact on sense of self and perception of health.

The questionnaire is ready for psychometric testing before its potential use in clinal trials and practice, report researchers.

Guselkumab approved for PsA

The TGA has approved guselkumab (Tremfya) for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who have had an inadequate response or who have been intolerant to a prior disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy.

The monoclonal antibody is already approved for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

Named and shamed: the worst packaging for arthritis patients

Arthritis Australia’s Accessible Design Division has compiled its annual list of worst packaging offenders for 2020 – with medicine packaging featuring high on the list of infuriating products to open.

Clamshell packaging takes out the number five spot followed by ring-pull tin cans. Dropping from the number one spot in 2017, ranked this year at number three, are milk bottles with twist lids and notoriously difficult to open half-moon seals.

Receiving the greatest amount of nominations are blister packs at number two, outnumbered by push down and turn child-resistant medicine packaging taking out the gong for worst packaging offender.

In good news, the TGA will join Arthritis Australia’s ‘Easy to Open Certification’ program in a bid to make essential medicines more accessible to arthritis patients.