Join the 'Methotrexate' group to help and get support from people like you.

Methotrexate Blog

Blog (13)

Standard Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapy as Good as Costlier Newcomer: Study

Posted 6 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, June 11 – Newer, costlier treatment for rheumatoid arthritis appears no better than an older, less-expensive regimen for people who don't respond to the first-line drug methotrexate, a new study suggests. "Newer isn't always better," said researcher Dr. Ted Mikuls, an associate professor in the rheumatology division at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha. "Some of the older medications can be effective." Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation in the joints, resulting in swelling, stiffness, pain and reduced joint function. It can also affect other parts of the body. "We compared two different ways of treating rheumatoid arthritis – one that included a new biologic [medication] with an older, more conventional oral medication," Mikuls explained. "We basically showed that at the end of the day patients, regardless of what they got, looked very similar in terms ... Read more

FDA Medwatch Alert: Methotrexate Sodium, USP Injectable Vials by Sandoz US: Recall - Particulate Matter In Vials

Posted 22 May 2013 by Drugs.com

ISSUE: Sandoz is conducting a voluntary nationwide recall to the hospital/user level of two lots of its Methotrexate Sodium, USP, 25 mg/mL, 40 mL vial injectable product in the US, due to the discovery of particulate matter in vials during routine quality examination of retention samples at the manufacturer. Parenteral injection of drug from the affected lots can lead to microembolisation in areas where the particles lodge. Clinical symptoms are not to be expected from these microemboli and Sandoz is not aware of any reports of related adverse events. BACKGROUND: Methotrexate is an antimetabolite used in the treatment of neoplastic diseases, severe psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis, including polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The lot numbers and expiration dates of the two recalled lots are: CL0996 (expiration date 12/2013) and CJ4948 (expiration date 05/2013). These lots ... Read more

Related support groups: Cancer, Methotrexate, Methotrexate LPF Sodium, Folex PFS, Rheumatrex Dose Pack, Trexall

Cancer Chemotherapy Tied to Slight Rise in Risk for Leukemia

Posted 14 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Feb. 14 – Chemotherapy can be a lifesaver for thousands of cancer patients, but a new study suggests that it might slightly raise the odds for a type of leukemia later in life. Over the past 30 years, the risk for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has increased for patients who underwent chemotherapy for certain forms of cancer, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the new study found. On the other hand, the researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute said other cancer survivors may have a reduced risk for AML due to a change in chemotherapy agents that occurred decades ago. One expert not connected to the study stressed that cancer patients need to put the findings into perspective. "It's important to realize that the risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia related to prior chemotherapy is small and increases with the number of chemotherapy treatments given over time," ... Read more

Newer Psoriasis Drugs May Lower Heart Attack Risk for Patients

Posted 20 Aug 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Aug. 20 – People with psoriasis who take a new class of drugs known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors may be at a lower risk for heart attack than their counterparts who only use topical medications to treat this inflammatory skin condition, a new study shows. And patients taking older systemic medicines and phototherapy may also have a reduced heart attack risk compared to those using topical preparations, the study found. Of 8,845 study participants, about 57 percent were treated with topical therapy only, 19 percent received a TNF inhibitor for at least two months and about 24 percent were treated with other medications or phototherapy. People who were treated with TNF inhibitors had a 50 percent lower risk, and those treated with other psoriasis drugs or phototherapy had a 46 percent lower risk for heart attack, than those who used topical medications alone. The ... Read more

FDA Medwatch Alert: Hospira Injectable Drug Products: Recall - Visible Particulates from Defective Glass Vials

Posted 18 Jul 2012 by Drugs.com

Including certain lots of the following products: carboplatin cytarabine paclitaxel methotrexate [Posted 07/16/2012] ISSUE: Hospira and FDA notified healthcare professional of a nationwide recall of certain injectable drug products, due to visible particles embedded in the glass located at the neck of the vial. There may be potential for product to come into contact with the embedded particles and the particles may become dislodged into the solution. In the event in which particulate matter could be injected into a patient, there may be the potential for patient injury where medical intervention may be required. Signs and symptoms might include bleeding, bruising, inflammation, itching, rash, chest pain and respiratory symptoms. See the Press Release for a listing of affected product lot numbers and expiration dates. BACKGROUND: These products were distributed nationwide to ... Read more

'Uncertainty' Remains Over Supply of Key Cancer Drugs

Posted 4 Jun 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, June 4 – John Mahan, a 58-year-old Nashville firefighter battling a gastrointestinal cancer, couldn't believe what he was hearing last July. His doctor had just told him that his clinic had run out of injectable fluorouracil (5-FU), the generic chemotherapy Mahan needed to keep his tumor at bay. "My initial reaction was, 'you've got to be kidding, right?'" he said. Unfortunately, the news was all too real. Mahan was switched to another drug, capecitabine. Taken in pill form, it had the same anti-cancer effectiveness as 5-FU but with more onerous side effects. "It made me feel bad, weak," Mahan said, "just run down, feeling tired all of the time, loss of appetite." At a Monday news briefing at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, Mahan spoke on behalf of the thousands of cancer patients who have been hit hard by the recent nationwide ... Read more

For Juvenile Arthritis, Pill May Work as Well as Needle

Posted 31 May 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, May 31 – Taking the arthritis drug methotrexate in pill form was just as effective as receiving it by injection for the long-term treatment of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a new study has found. Since both methods also have a similar incidence of side effects, researchers said the findings suggest that children may as well take the medication as a pill instead of having to put up with the discomfort of injections. They noted, however, that their study looked back at registry information on kids with arthritis. More research – including controlled clinical trials, the gold standard of research – is needed before making a treatment recommendation. The study, published May 30 in the journal Arthritis Care & Research, was funded by drug maker Wyeth BioPharma. Methotrexate (brand name Rheumatrex) is one of the most common first-line disease-modifying ... Read more

Arthritis in Children Linked to Infections

Posted 1 May 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 1 – Children with juvenile arthritis have higher rates of bacterial infection when hospitalized than children without arthritis, a new study says. While taking high-dose steroids was associated with a higher infection risk among kids with arthritis, other arthritis drugs – methotrexate and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) inhibitors – were not. Researchers analyzed Medicaid data on nearly 8,500 children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and more than 360,000 arthritis-free children. Idiopathic means that a disease occurs without a known cause. Pharmacy claims were examined to determine arthritis patients' use of drugs that suppress the immune system, including high-dose glucocorticoids (steroids), methotrexate and TNF inhibitors, according to the study published May 1 in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Kids with arthritis who were not currently treated with ... Read more

FDA Thinks Shortage of Cancer Drug for Kids Can Be Averted

Posted 14 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Feb. 14 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it was cautiously optimistic that a feared shortage of a life-saving drug used to treat a form of childhood leukemia will be averted. The drug, methotrexate, is used in combination with other drugs to combat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which typically strikes children ages 2 to 5 and is the most common type of cancer in children. Methotrexate is a linchpin in the treatment of children battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In high doses, the generic drug has been successful in curing patients and beneficial in preventing recurrence. Without the drug, a patient's chance for a cure is reduced while the risk of recurrence rises, oncologists report. "We are seeing the [three] companies [that make methotrexate] respond to this shortage and they are planning on some very large releases, and we are planning on ... Read more

FDA Approves Voraxaze to Treat Patients with Toxic Methotrexate Levels

Posted 18 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

January 17, 2012 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Voraxaze (glucarpidase) to treat patients with toxic levels of methotrexate in their blood due to kidney failure. Methotrexate is a commonly used cancer chemotherapy drug normally eliminated from the body by the kidneys. However, patients receiving high doses of methotrexate may develop kidney failure. Voraxaze is an enzyme that rapidly reduces methotrexate levels by breaking the chemotherapy drug down to a form that can be eliminated from the body. Voraxaze is administered directly into a patient’s vein (intravenously). “Prolonged exposure to high levels of methotrexate can result in kidney and liver damage, severe mouth sores, damage to the lining of the intestine, skin rashes, and death due to low blood counts,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s ... Read more

Related support groups: Methotrexate, Methotrexate LPF Sodium

Cancer Patients Should Ask Doctors to Use Simple Terms

Posted 28 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 – Cancer patients are often faced with many difficult-to-understand treatment choices that can have serious side effects and even mean the difference between life and death. That's why it's crucial that patients insist doctors use plain language in explaining the options, advised Angela Fagerlin, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a researcher at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center. "People are making life and death decisions that may affect their survival and they need to know what they're getting themselves into. Cancer treatments and tests can be serious. Patients need to know what kind of side effects they might experience as a result of the treatment they undergo," Fagerlin said in a university news release. She and her colleagues outlined a number of tips to help patients get the information they need ... Read more

As Venus Williams Bows Out of U.S. Open, Little-Known Disease Takes Center Court

Posted 1 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Sept. 1 – Venus Williams' surprising withdrawal from the U.S. Open on Wednesday has shifted the spotlight from the tennis star's daunting serve to her diagnosis with a little-known disease known as Sjogren's syndrome. Williams, 31, said the disease has diminished her energy level and caused joint pain, curtailing her ability to continue in the tournament. More than 4 million Americans have the chronic autoimmune disease, which also causes dry mouth and dry eyes. Ninety percent of those with the disease are women. Sjogren's syndrome "targets and destroys over time the exocrine glands responsible for tear production and saliva – and is characterized by dryness of the mouth and eyes," said Dr. Michael Belmont, an associate professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at NYU Langone Medical Center and medical director for Hospital for Joint Diseases. Less commonly, it ... Read more

Long-Term Methotrexate Won't Help Kids With Juvenile Arthritis

Posted 6 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 6 – Longer treatment with the drug methotrexate doesn't reduce relapse rates in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) that has gone into remission, a new study finds. The research included 364 JIA patients, median age 11 years, in 29 countries. They were randomly assigned to continue taking methotrexate for either six (group 1) or 12 months (group 2) after the beginning of disease remission, which meant that the children were temporarily free of persistent joint pain, swelling and stiffness. The median relapse-free time was 21 months in group 1 and 23 months in group 2. Of the 297 patients who stopped taking methotrexate while in remission, about 40 percent in both groups 1 and 2 had a JIA flare within a year. "These data indicate a need for the stratification of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases to ensure that the intensity of treatment is adjusted ... Read more

Ask a Question

Further Information

Related Condition Support Groups

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Osteosarcoma, Pemphigoid, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, view more... Neoplastic Diseases, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Pemphigus, Uveitis, Small Cell Lung Cancer, Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Solid Tumors, Scleroderma, Trophoblastic Disease, Systemic Sclerosis, Mycosis Fungoides, Pityriasis rubra pilaris, Cervical Cancer, Choriocarcinoma, Cogan's Syndrome, Colorectal Cancer, Bullous Pemphigoid, Brain Tumor, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia, Bladder Cancer, Dermatomyositis, Ectopic Pregnancy, Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Lymphoma, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Head and Neck Cancer, Graft-versus-host disease, Eczema, Esophageal Carcinoma, Gastric Cancer, Meningeal Leukemia

Related Drug Support Groups

Methotrexate LPF Sodium, Folex PFS, Rheumatrex Dose Pack, Trexall