Dr. Kenneth Saag, MD
Not yet claimedRheumatologist · Physician (MD)
Birmingham, AL
Dr. Kenneth Saag is a rheumatologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he leads the division of clinical immunology and rheumatology. His work focuses on gout and osteoporosis, and he has served as president of the American College of Rheumatology.
About Dr. Kenneth Saag, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026 · next review Dec 19, 2026Dr. Kenneth G. Saag is a rheumatologist and professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Since July 1, 2020, he has been Director of UAB's Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, and he also directs UAB's Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone, and Autoimmunity Center (CAMBAC). His clinical focus is listed as osteoporosis, glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and spondyloarthropathies.
He earned his MD at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 1986, completed internal medicine residency and chief residency in the Northwestern system, finished a rheumatology fellowship at the University of Iowa in 1993, and also holds an MSc in epidemiology from the University of Iowa. He is board certified in rheumatology, and his Alabama medical license is listed as active through 2025.
Much of his public record is in research and professional leadership. He served as the 85th President of the American College of Rheumatology and is a past president of the National Osteoporosis Foundation Board of Trustees. He was on the expert panel for the 2020 ACR guideline for managing gout. A physician directory counts about 340 peer-reviewed articles he co-authored and 8 clinical trials. He also mentors trainees as principal investigator of several training grants at UAB.
Federal CMS Open Payments records for 2021-2025 list $47,810.58 in industry payments to him across 51 records, with the largest amounts from Neurocrine Biosciences ($15,005.89) and Horizon Therapeutics ($10,101.45). Payments from drug and device companies to physicians are common and legal, and are reported publicly.
- Division director at UAB
- He became Director of UAB's Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology effective July 1, 2020, succeeding Lou Bridges. uab.edu
- American College of Rheumatology president
- He served as the 85th President of the American College of Rheumatology, having been President-Elect from November 2020. the-rheumatologist.org
- Gout guideline panel member
- He served on the expert panel for the 2020 American College of Rheumatology guideline for the management of gout. acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
- Osteoporosis foundation leadership
- He is a past President of the National Osteoporosis Foundation Board of Trustees, described as the only rheumatologist to have held that role. the-rheumatologist.org
- Training and board certification
- MD from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (1986), rheumatology fellowship at the University of Iowa (1993), MSc in epidemiology from the University of Iowa; board certification listed in rheumatology. health.usnews.com
- Research output
- A physician directory lists 340 co-authored peer-reviewed articles and participation in 8 clinical trials; his UAB profile notes first-authored original articles in the New England Journal of Medicine. scholars.uab.edu
- Clinical and research focus
- His listed clinical interests are osteoporosis, glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and spondyloarthropathies; his research covers comparative effectiveness and safety of treatments and quality of care in gout and osteoporosis. doximity.com
- Hospital affiliations
- Listed affiliations include UAB Hospital, UAB Highlands, Birmingham VA Medical Center, UAB St. Vincent's Birmingham, and UAB Saint Vincent's East. doctor.webmd.com
- Gout Education Society board
- He is a member of the Gout Education Society Board of Directors / advisory board. gouteducation.org
- Mentoring and training grants
- He is principal investigator of several T32 training grants, a K12, and the KL2 in UAB's Center for Clinical and Translational Science, and has trained more than 20 post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty. scholars.uab.edu
Worth knowing
- CMS Open Payments records for 2021-2025 list $47,810.58 in payments from industry across 51 records, with the largest from Neurocrine Biosciences ($15,005.89) and Horizon Therapeutics ($10,101.45). Several of these companies make treatments in areas he researches. Such payments are legal and publicly reported. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
- Sources disagree about his endowed chair: UAB Scholars and The Rheumatologist list the Jane Knight Lowe Endowed Chair, while the Gout Education Society and a 2023 ACR conference bio list the Anna Lois Waters Endowed Chair. The discrepancy is unresolved and may reflect a recent change. gouteducation.org
- His X (Twitter) account is not platform-verified; the match is based on the self-description and location listed on the account. x.com
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$47,811
51 payments
| 2021 | $0 |
| 2022 | $52 |
| 2023 | $13,800 |
| 2024 | $13,710 |
| 2025 | $20,249 |
Top payers
- Neurocrine BioSciences, Inc.$15,006
- Horizon Therapeutics plc$10,101
- SWEDISH ORPHAN BIOVITRUM AB$4,824
- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.$4,313
- SOBI, INC$3,044
Payment types
- Consulting Fee$29,923
- Honoraria$8,450
- Travel and Lodging$3,014
- Education$2,715
- Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program$2,286
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: scholars.uab.edu · uab.edu · uab.edu · x.com · medcitynews.com · doximity.com · doctor.webmd.com · health.usnews.com. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above, reviewed every three months. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
1717 6th Ave S
Birmingham, AL 35233
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