April 21, 2026
1 min watch
In this Healio video exclusive, Leonard H. Calabrese, DO, chief medical editor of Healio Rheumatology, highlights the latest cover story on the current state, and future, of therapeutic drug monitoring within the specialty.
“In rheumatology, we behind many other professions [in therapeutic drug monitoring],” he said. “We are making some progress in hydroxychloroquine, but there are many other drugs to cover.”
Calabrese additionally noted a feature story on the potential implications of capping education loans for medical students and those entering advanced practice nursing programs.
A proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Education would impose a yearly borrowing limit of $20,500 and a lifetime limit of $100,000 for graduate students, unless they are enrolled in programs that meet a new definition of a professional degree.
Included in that new definition are 11 core programs — medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, veterinary medicine, podiatry, chiropractic, law, theology and clinical psychology.
Limits for these programs would be set at $50,000 annually and $200,000 in total. Advanced practice nursing programs are excluded from this new definition.
“I think this is terrible,” Calabrese said.
Calabrese meanwhile applauded the FDA for introducing a new approval process for targeted individualized therapies, including genome editing and RNA-based therapies, intended to treat rare and ultra rare diseases in which randomized controlled trials are not feasible.
“This is particular for genetic therapies, but I think will help us [in rheumatology] down the line,” he said.
Lastly, Calabrese discussed a Q&A with one of the researchers behind a recent study that found the chemical structure of the Borrelia burgdorferi cell wall may dictate the frequency and severity of Lyme arthritis. These results could have implications for future treatment.
“I found this to be a very interesting article on some work from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, regarding some structural aspects of Borrelia that may lead to the actual generation of inflammatory arthritis,” he said.
For more information:
Leonard H. Calabrese, DO, can be reached at calabrl@ccf.org or at rheumatology@healio.com.
Sources/Disclosures
Source:
Healio Interviews
Disclosures:
Calabrese reports being a medical advisor for OpenEvidence, as well as professional relationships with AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Galvani, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi and UCB.
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