This article was posted on a cancer list serv that I read. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3419278/ (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3419278/)
Since I have a myeloproliferative neoplasm (blood disorder) I read up on information pertaining to it as well as this forum for Sjogren's. There is a higher risk of myeloproliferative neoplasms with autoimmune disorders. Here is a link to that article http://www.haematologica.org/content/95/7/1216.long (http://www.haematologica.org/content/95/7/1216.long).
My myeloproliferative neoplasm - Polycythemia Vera - came years after I started having symptoms of Sjogren's. I got the Polycythemia diagnoses before the Sjogren's so I was thinking that my symptoms had to be related to it rather than an autoimmune problem. A lot of myleoproliferative patients think that any new symptom is related to that disorder and stop thinking that other illnesses are to blame. I was one of them even though my hematologist said it couldn't be but since my PCP couldn't find anything else I didn't have any other explanation. So my advice related to myeloproliferative neoplasms is that if your blood work looks screwy make your PCP consider a blood disorder.
In my case, this new class of meds could be of benefit to both diseases. I'm not ready to try it at this time although last year my hematologist suggested trying to get into a trial for a drug in the same class because I was going through a really bad time. He explained how the new drugs could help both diseases.
Both articles are technical but worth a read.
Thanks for posting this, odie. I'm curious to see how well this new drug class performs.
Styx