From MedPage Today:

1. Carotid Stenting Linked to High Real-World Mortality. Carotid stenting was associated with much higher than expected 2-year mortality in the Medicare population.
2. ‘Generic’ Colchicine to Hit Market. A so-called authorized generic version of the colchicine formulation sold as Colcrys for acute gout flares and for treating familial Mediterranean fever will be “widely available” starting later this week.
3. Newer RA Drugs Raise Serum Lipids. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with tofacitinib (Xeljanz) and tocilizumab (Actemra) have notable changes in serum lipids.
4. Scant Evidence for Opioids in Chronic Pain. There’s no evidence for the long-term safety and efficacy of opioids in chronic pain — a fact long touted by advocates who have called for tighter controls on opioids, now supported by a large-scale evidence review commissioned by federal agencies.