Rheum Round-up: Why Psoriasis Pts May Take MTX Break After J&J Vax, and much more

Certain patients with psoriasis who receive the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine may want to temporarily stop taking their medication, according to guidance from the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). Specifically, patients aged ≥60 years with at least one comorbidity linked to poorer COVID-19 outcomes who have well-controlled disease on methotrexate “may, in consultation with their prescriber, consider holding it for 2 weeks” following vaccination, the recommendation states.

The guideline is one of 29 recommendations suggested by the NPF COVID-19 Task Force and pertains specifically to the “replication-incompetent adenovirus type 26-vectored vaccine encoding a stabilized variant of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein (Ad26.COV2.S, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson),” the Task Force clarifies. Learn more here.

Health Canada is conducting a safety review into tofacitinib following reports that the drug may be associated with serious heart-related issues and cancer. Tofacitinib, manufactured by Pfizer and marketed as Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR, is indicated to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis in adult patients who have not responded well to other treatments. Earlier this year, the FDA made a similar announcement on the heels of a safety trial into tofacitinib.

Finally, in a recent study, patients who underwent common orthopedic and urologic procedures used an automated text messaging system to report pain levels and opioid use. It turns out that many patients may have been overprescribed opioids, as they had unused medication after achieving pain management, the researchers discovered.

“We found that more than 60% of the opioid tablets prescribed went unused, which tracks with the team’s preliminary studies,” said study author Dr. Agarwal, a clinical innovation manager in the Penn Medicine Center for Digital Health and an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine.

In Case You Missed It:

After Johnson & Johnson Vaccine, Methotrexate Users May Consider Two-week Treatment Hiatus: National Psoriasis Foundation

Tofacitinib Under Review for Heart-related Issues, Cancer in Canada Months after FDA Announcement

Opioids Go Unused after Orthopedic Procedures, According to Automated Texting Program