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Found 462 result(s) FROM 1963 pages containing the term 'bone compaction'.
Thursday Apr 22, 2010
Does PRP Therapy Actually Speed Healing?
The controversial blood treatment is gaining popularity amongst athletes, but studies showed mixed results on how effective it is...
Wednesday Apr 07, 2010
Surgeons Turn to Complex Spinal Procedures Despite Hazards
Complex surgical procedures to treat back pain have soared in popularity in recent years, but experts say they pose greater risks with no more benefits...
Friday Mar 12, 2010
Long-term Bisphosphonate Use May Actually Increase Fracture Risk
The osteoporosis drugs may boost bone quantity at the expense of bone quality, eventually weakening users' bones...
Wednesday Mar 10, 2010
Anti-Nausea Drug Eases Bone Marrow Transplants
Aprepitant, taken in combination with other anti-nausea drugs, can significantly ease the experience of a bone marrow transplant, which generally causes severe nausea and vomiting...
Thursday Jan 28, 2010
Pain Pumps May Lead to Development of Chondrolysis
Hundreds of patients have developed the relatively rare ailment after the use of postsurgical pain pumps...
Thursday Dec 03, 2009
In the News This Week
Read what MSKreport has been tweeting about this week...
Wednesday Nov 18, 2009
FDA Wants Pain Pump Label Warnings
Chondrolysis follows continuous intra-articular local anesthetic infusion, FDA says...
Thursday Nov 05, 2009
TNFα Weakens Bones in Diabetes
High levels of TNF-α in diabetics accelerates cartilage loss, weakens bones, and slows fracture healing...
Monday Oct 19, 2009
Denosumab Approval Faces Delay
FDA-watchers predict that the agency will miss the October 19th target set for denosumab approval by as much as 3 months...
Thursday Oct 15, 2009
To Scope or Not to Scope in Hip Patients Over 60
Hip arthroscopy may benefit some patients aged 60 and older with femoroacetebular impingement...
Thursday Oct 01, 2009
MRI Can Show Joint Damage in Early Gout
For patients with gout but normal plain radiographs, MRI is more sensitive than ultrasound for detecting early gout, but what to do with that information is unclear...
Friday Sep 11, 2009
Splits Form Over How to Address Bone Loss
Osteopenia—bone density that is below what is considered normal but not low enough to be considered osteoporosis—can be a confusing diagnosis, and experts are split over whether patients should begin taking drugs to inhibit bone loss when only in the osteopenia stage
Tuesday Sep 08, 2009
RA Drug Array ARRY-162 Fails in Phase 2
A new rheumatoid drug from Array BioPharma that modulates the MEK pathway did not meet Phase 2 efficacy goals...
Thursday Aug 27, 2009
Study: Hip Fracture Rates On the Decline in Canada
Hip fracture rates in Canada have been declining since 1985, with a more rapid drop between 1996 and 2005...
Thursday Aug 20, 2009
Mimicking Human Cartilage to Repair a Knee
Companies are developing off-the-shelf plugs that are engineered to mimic the composition of human bone and cartilage to use instead of transplanted cartilage when repairing injured knees...
Monday Aug 10, 2009
Millions of Children In US Found to Be Lacking Vitamin D
Millions of young Americans have disturbingly low vitamin D levels, which may increase their risk for bone problems, heart disease, and diabetes later in life...
Wednesday Aug 05, 2009
Lupus with Leucopenia, Anemia Signals Risk of Leukemia
Lupus patients with persistent leucopenia or anemia may be at risk for myeloid leukemia...
Thursday Jul 30, 2009
GSK Buys $120 Million Piece of Denosumab
GlaxoSmithKline will share denosumab osteoporosis sales in Europe and emerging markets...
Thursday Jul 16, 2009
Hand BMD Predicts RA Mortality
Hand bone mineral density measured by digital X-ray radiogrammetry may help doctors better predict risk of joint damage and mortality among individuals with RA...
Thursday Jul 16, 2009
Array BioPharma Stops Work on ARRY-797 Pan-Cytokine Inhibitor for RA Despite Good Early Data
The pan-cytokine inhibitor ARRY-797 was safe at doses of up to 1,200 mg/day in a phase 1 dose-escalation study in RA patients, but will not be developed further for use in RA...
Thursday Jul 09, 2009
Amgen's Denosumab Bests Zometa in Breast Cancer Patients
The first of three pivotal oncology trials comparing denosumab to Zometa in the advanced cancer setting meets primary and secondary endpoints...
Tuesday Jun 30, 2009
Assessment of Bone Growth Stimulator Is Mixed
Bone-morphogenic protein (BMP) is being increasingly used in the US to stimulate the creation of new bone during spinal fusion surgery, despite higher costs and complication rates...
Thursday Jun 25, 2009
From Inflammation to Bone Formation in SpA
Clinical and animal data reported at EULAR suggest that both controlling inflammation and preventing new bone formation may be required to stop ankylosing spondylitis progression...
Wednesday Jun 24, 2009
RA Rituxan Response Seen Best with High Res US
High resolution grey-scale ultrasonography may help rheumatologists measure response to rituximab treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients...
Wednesday Jun 17, 2009
EULAR Report Shows Tocilizumab Protects Joints in RA
Actemra® maintained structure and function in a wide range of RA patients in the LITHE study, with response durations of 2 years in interim analyses...
Thursday Jun 11, 2009
RA Bone Changes May Offer New Treatment Target
Osteoporosis and erosions appear loosely linked in some RA patients...
Friday Jun 05, 2009
FDA OKs 2-Year Reclast for Osteoporosis
Reclast (zoledronic acid) injection has been approved as the first therapy to prevent osteoporosis for 2 years with a single dose...
Thursday Jun 04, 2009
Allopurinol Extends Gout Survival
Gout patients who take allopurinol live longer than those who do not, mostly due to decreased cardiovascular mortality...
Wednesday Jun 03, 2009
DHEA Intensifies Calcium, Vitamin D Effect on BMD
Adding DHEA to calcium and vitamin D significantly increases spine BMD in older women (but not in men) and might be a good thing, provided the women don't have family cancer risk and don't need to pass any sports doping tests...
Tuesday May 19, 2009
Improved Hip Implants Can Last 20 Years
Cement-less components for total hip replacements can last twice as long as previous versions, allowing younger patients to qualify as candidates for hip replacements...
Wednesday May 13, 2009
Persistent Sore Ankle Might Be Damaged Tendon
Physicians should consider peroneal tendon injury in patients with refractory lateral ankle pain...
Thursday Apr 30, 2009
Minimally Invasive Knee Replacement? Sometimes.
Minimally invasive knee arthroplasty may be appropriate for select patients when performed by an experienced surgeon...
Thursday Apr 23, 2009
Merck Inks Deal with Galapagos in Inflammatory Diseases
Merck and Galapagos have signed a multi-year agreement for discovery and development of new drugs for inflammatory disease...
Monday Apr 20, 2009
Forteo May Help Mend Non-Healing Fractures
Subcutaneous daily injections of parathyroid hormone (teriparatide, Forteo, Eli Lilly and Co) may help heal painful non-union or delayed union fractures by stimulating bone stem cells...
Thursday Apr 16, 2009
Once-a-Year Drug Helps Counter Steroid-Linked Bone Loss
A yearly injection of Reclast was found to be more effective at preventing and/or reversing bone loss for patients with asthma or RA than daily bisphosphonate pills…
Wednesday Apr 01, 2009
Analgesic Overdose Causes 21% of Deaths After Lumbar Fusions
Patients who had lumbar fusions for back pain were at greater risk of death in later years than those treated nonsurgically. The risk was particularly high in those who received instrumentation or intervertebral cage devices, and more than 1 in 5 deaths were due to analgesic overdose...
Thursday Mar 26, 2009
Firefly Protein Lights Up Lupus Imaging
Bioluminescent imaging of NF-kB pinpoints inflamed sites long before symptoms appear in a mouse model of lupus and is likely to speed development of treatments for early disease...
Monday Mar 23, 2009
More Americans Need Vitamin D to Prevent Fractures
Daily vitamin D supplements of >400 IU/day can cut fracture risk by 19-20%, but more Americans are becoming vitamin D-deficient...
Thursday Mar 19, 2009
A Little Drink May Be Good for Your Bones
A recent study suggests moderate amounts of beer and wine may have a positive affect on bone health...
Monday Mar 16, 2009
Chondrolysis Seen With Local Anesthetic After Shoulder Surgery
Local anesthetic infused into the shoulder joint after arthroscopy can destroy shoulder cartilage...
Monday Mar 09, 2009
Bone Cement Eases Pain of Late-Stage Cancers
While it won’t cure them, injecting bone cement into lesions in patients whose cancer has spread to their bones can alleviate pain and allow for greater patient mobility and quality of life...
Tuesday Mar 03, 2009
Tiny Arthroscopic Procedure Patches Up Arthritic Thumb
The most common type of hand arthritis, OA of the thumb, can be successfully repaired using an arthroscopic approach to insert a collagen patch into the carpo-metacarpal space...
Monday Mar 02, 2009
Early Screening, Osteoporosis Treatment Needed to Reduce Hip Fracture Rates
Early osteoporosis screening and treatment are being pushed worldwide as orthopaedic surgeons try to stem the tide of hip fractures in aging populations...
Wednesday Feb 25, 2009
ACL Repairs Becoming More Common in Kids, Don't Shorten NFL Careers
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is becoming more common in school-age athletes and needs longer healing time than is sometimes allowed, but it need not jeopardize a professional sports career...
Monday Feb 16, 2009
FDA Gives Nod to Uloric® (febuxostat), First New Gout Treatment in 40 Years
The US FDA approved 40 mg and 80 mg doses of Takeda Pharmaceutical's febuxostat (Uloric) for the chronic management of hyperuricemia in patients with gout...
Wednesday Feb 11, 2009
Cementless Hip Replacements: Still Sturdy After 20 Years
Hip replacements done with cementless metal cups can last up to 20 years after revision arthroplasty and even longer when used for primary hip arthroplasty...
Tuesday Feb 10, 2009
Each Osteoporotic Fracture Ups Death Risk
Women and men age 60 years or older who sustain a low-trauma osteoporotic fracture are at an increased risk of dying during the following 5 to 10 years...
Thursday Jan 29, 2009
Bone Health in Men: Influencing Factors
According to the results of a bone health questionnaire, many men believe that they will not be affected by osteoporosis at all or as severely as women, and thus do not follow lifestyle recommendations to protect their bone mass…
Tuesday Jan 27, 2009
Bone Up on Depression, Osteoporosis Links
Depression and osteoporosis appear linked, perhaps by neuroendocrine dysfunction...
Thursday Jan 15, 2009
Parkinson's Disease Puts Bones, Joints at Risk
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease—tremors, rigidity in the joints, and balance problems—can lead to reduced bone mass and a greater risk of falls, resulting in heightened numbers of bone fractures and joint injuries…
Wednesday Jan 14, 2009
Wrist MRI Lets Many Avoid Arthroscopy
3-T MRI of the wrist effectively detects wrist ligament tears and may help patients avoid unnecessary surgery...
Tuesday Jan 13, 2009
Pilates Favorite: Multifidus Emerges As Key Muscle for Preventing Back Pain
The little multifidus muscle, beloved of Pilates exercise instructors but largely ignored in other settings, turns out to be key to spinal stability...
Wednesday Jan 07, 2009
Study Links Osteoporosis Drugs to Jaw Trouble
People taking oral osteoporosis drugs may have a higher risk of developing jaw trouble than previously thought...
Tuesday Dec 16, 2008
Osteoporosis Drug Seems to Shrink Breast Tumors
Zoledronic acid (Zometa), used to treat osteoporosis patients, also appears to shrink tumors in breast cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy…
Monday Dec 15, 2008
Diabetes Drugs Double Fracture Risk
Long-term use of a popular class of oral diabetic drugs doubles the risk of fractures in women with type 2 diabetes...
Friday Dec 12, 2008
Cartilage Repair Moving from Bench to Bedside
Mosiacplasty may soon be the method of choice for orthopaedic surgeons treating small focal defects in cartilage, but stem cell-based cartilage repair is also moving stealthily down the pike...
Tuesday Dec 09, 2008
OA Imaging Explains Subchondral Cysts, Bone Marrow Edema
New OA imaging studies support the bony contusion theory of subchondral cyst formation and show that bone marrow edema in the medial tibia, but not other sites, is a good marker for OA severity...
Monday Dec 08, 2008
Medtronic Challenges Lawsuit Over Spinal Implant
The family of a woman who died after having neck surgery with Infuse Bone Graft is suing Medtronic, the maker of the spinal implant, for promoting off-label use of their device...
Tuesday Dec 02, 2008
Medicaid DXA Cuts Jeopardize Osteoporosis Care
If Medicaid reimbursement cuts for dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) are not reversed, experts predict a surge in osteoporotic fractures that will raise costs far beyond the DXA cost savings...
Monday Dec 01, 2008
Bone Finding May Point to Hope for Osteoporosis
Serotonin formed in the gut, whose use has long been a mystery to researchers, may play a critical role in bone formation…
Monday Nov 24, 2008
Scleroderma Stem Cell Transplants Advance, Phase III Studies Recruiting Patients
Pilot data on systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients treated with autologous stem cell transplants suggest durable improvements in skin thickening and lung function. Phase III randomized trials are still open to enrollment...
Friday Nov 21, 2008
EntreMed Reports Antiangiogenic Role of 2ME2 Demonstrated in RA Models
Preclinical results for 2ME2 (Panzem® or 2-methoxyestradiol) in rheumatoid arthritis demonstrated that 2ME2 involutes rat collagen-induced arthritis and suppresses synovial VEGF and bFGF gene expression...
Monday Nov 17, 2008
Vitamin D Levels Linked to OA Cartilage Loss, OA Pain, and SSc Disease Activity by ACR Researchers
Low vitamin D levels are associated with faster progression of joint damage, bone loss, and pain in OA and with higher levels of inflammatory markers and vascular complications in systemic sclerosis, suggesting that more attention to vitamin D supplements might be in order...
Thursday Nov 13, 2008
Il-6 Blockade Helps Move RA Patients TOWARD Remission
Interleukin-6 blockade with tocilizumab (Actemra®), when combined with conventional DMARDs, safely and effectively reduces rheumatoid arthritis joint and systemic symptoms in patients were not helped by DMARDs alone...
Thursday Nov 13, 2008
Parathyroid Hormone Patch May Increase BMD and Adherence
A new patch that delivers parathyroid hormone (PTH) may increase spine and hip BMD and avoid some of the compliance issues seen with subcutaneous daily injections of PTH…
Wednesday Nov 12, 2008
Pegloticase Offers Hope to Patients With Worst Types of Gout
Pegloticase (Puricase®, Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) performed well in two Phase III studies...
Wednesday Nov 12, 2008
Novartis’ ACZ885 Phase III Data Show Rapid, Sustained Clinical Remission in Children and Adults with CAPS, a Group of Rare, Potentially Life-Threatening Autoinflammatory Diseases
Novartis also announced that preliminary results of a phase I/II study in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis showed that most patients treated with ACZ885 achieved substantial clinical improvement within 15 days...
Tuesday Nov 11, 2008
For Women, Red Flags About a Hip Device
Hip resurfacing is a popular alternative to traditional hip replacement surgery, but data is beginning to indicate that the technique has a significant failure rate in women…
Friday Nov 07, 2008
Studies Confirm, Extend Uses of MRI in Spondyloarthropathies
Severe romanus lesions in patients with back pain who are younger than 51 are very specific for spondyloarthropathy, and an MRI of just the sacroiliac joint is generally enough to diagnose nonradiographic axial SpA, regardless of the location of the back pain...
Thursday Nov 06, 2008
Falls Are Leading Cause of Injury to Seniors
The elderly have an increased risk of falls and bone injuries, but certain preventive measures can help protect them…
Thursday Oct 30, 2008
Merck, Japan Tobacco in Osteoporosis Drug Deal
Merck and Japan Tobacco announced a worldwide licensing agreement to develop and commercialize JTT-305, an investigational oral osteoanabolic agent for the treatment of osteoporosis...
Wednesday Oct 29, 2008
Denosumab Bests Alendronate for Increasing Bone Mass
One year of denosumab was more likely to produce a 3% gain in hip or spine bone mass than one year of alendronate...
Thursday Oct 23, 2008
Tamoxifen Cuts Fracture Risk
The breast cancer drug tamoxifen has been found to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures, but the protection against fractures diminshes after treatment with the drug ends…
Monday Oct 20, 2008
Bone Health Organizations Around the Globe Mark World Osteoporosis Day
October 20th is World Osteoporosis Day, which is the launch of a campaign to mobilize public opinion to generate change in osteoporosis healthcare policies…
Thursday Oct 16, 2008
Novartis Reports Once-Yearly Aclasta® Approved in EU to Treat Osteoporosis in Men; Label to Include Reduction of New Fractures Following Hip Fracture in Men and Postmenopausal Women
The European Commission followed the US FDA in approving once-yearly Aclasta for the treatment of osteoporosis in men who are at increased risk of fractures, and has broadened the drug’s label to include reduction of new fractures in men and postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who have recently suffered a hip fracture...
Thursday Oct 16, 2008
The Scan That Didn’t Scan
Both doctors and patients rely heavily on findings from MRI scans, but the quality of MRI can be erratic and not always reliable…
Thursday Oct 02, 2008
Vitamin C Protects Some Elderly Men From Bone Loss
Eating nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables can protect elderly men from the bone loss that leads to hip fractures…
Tuesday Sep 30, 2008
Microscopic Version of the CT Scan Reveals Secrets of Bone Formation
A new version of the CT scan offers insight on how bones, shells, and other animal structures are formed, which may give researchers a better understanding of bone loss and how to combat it…
Friday Sep 26, 2008
ASBMR Reports Show 68% Drop in Spinal Fractures With Denosumab, Stronger Effect on Bone Turnover Than With Alendronate, High Patient Preference
Studies reported at the 2008 ASBMR meeting showed that denosumab, which is given twice yearly, was as effective as the best competing agents at preventing osteoporotic fractures. Denosumab produced greater gains in BMD than alendronate and was preferred to once-weekly oral alendronate...
Thursday Sep 25, 2008
Bone Loss Stable on Restricted Calorie Diet
Overweight adults can shed pounds without experiencing significant bone loss by eating a low calorie diet that includes essential nutrients...
Monday Sep 15, 2008
ACR REF Clinical and Translational Research Grants Target Better Ways to Monitor Response to Arthritis Care, Genetics, Heart and Bone Health in RA Patients
Six major grants from the ACR Research and Education Foundation show the growing importance of finding better ways to monitor response to (often expensive) RA care, decoding the genetic underpinnings of arthritis, and protecting arthritis patients’ hearts and bones in long-term care...
Monday Sep 15, 2008
Study Rules Against Arthroscopy for Most Knee OA Cases
Arthroscopy is not effective for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA), but an editorialist urges clinicians not to throw out the baby with the bathwater as arthroscopy can—and does—help knee OA patients in whom a coexisting knee problem such as a meniscal tear or a loose piece of cartilage is causing the majority of their symptoms…
Thursday Sep 11, 2008
Total Ankle Replacements are Coming Into their Own—Finally
Total ankle replacements are expected to soon rival hip and knee replacements in design, function, and durability. Airbags and seatbelts contribute to growing demand…
Monday Sep 08, 2008
ACR Research and Education Foundation Grants Point to New Arthritis Research
New REF grants target RA immunotherapy, inflammation, bone erosions, PAD inhibition...
Thursday Sep 04, 2008
Scientists Discover How Osteoarthritis Destroys Cartilage
New discovery may lead to preventive treatment for osteoarthritis…
Tuesday Sep 02, 2008
Success Rate Rising of Transplants Using Donor Tissues
Despite hurdles such as high costs and the dangers of immunosuppression following surgery, composite tissue allotransplantation (CTA) is becoming a more popular procedure…
Friday Aug 29, 2008
Ligaments Tie Together OA Pathology
Ligaments are emerging as the key to understanding why osteoarthritis develops in nontraumatized joints...
Thursday Aug 28, 2008
Experts Urge More Attention to Vitamin D in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Vitamin D not only helps prevent steroid-induced osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis but might also help reduce falls and modulate disease activity...
Thursday Aug 28, 2008
Mesoblast Reports Preclinical Study Shows Allogeneic Stem Cells in Ewes are Safe, Effective for Cervical Spine Fusion; Therapy May Receive Boost From US FDA’s Recent Alert of Life-Threatening Complications Associated With rhBMP in Cervical Spine Fusions
Mesoblast is currently in phase II clinical trials for fusion of the lumbar spine and, based on these new results, will extend its market opportunity to cover the entire spectrum of spinal fusion. Subject to FDA approval, Mesoblast's therapy will eliminate the need for autograft...
Thursday Aug 28, 2008
Vitamin D Deficiency May Lurk in Babies
Some infants are not getting enough vitamin D from breast milk, beginning a life plagued by vitamin D deficiency and bone health problems...
Wednesday Aug 27, 2008
Researchers Home in On Role of TNF in RA Bone Destruction
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) decreases osteoblast numbers via an enzyme called Smad Ubiquitin Regulatory Factor 1 (SMURF1), which shuts down two proteins that would otherwise drive bone formation…
Monday Aug 25, 2008
Emisphere Reports Full Recruitment of Study Evaluating Eligen® Technology and Salmon Calcitonin on Vertebral Fractures in Postmenopausal Women
Emisphere Technologies announced that recruitment is finished for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study of oral salmon calcitonin in the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women taking calcium and vitamin D...
Thursday Aug 21, 2008
Mesoblast Reports Stem Cells Regrow Knee Cartilage in Postmenopausal Ewes With OA; Repair Nonhealing Bones in Humans
Mesoblast, a regenerative medicine company developing treatments for orthopaedic conditions, announced successful preclinical trial results showing that its proprietary adult stem cells regenerated and regrew damaged knee cartilage...
Wednesday Aug 20, 2008
Zoledronic Acid Prevents Chemo-Induced Bone Loss in Premenopausal Women With Breast Cancer
As the population of breast cancer survivors grows, the risks of life after cancer treatment are becoming a major concern. One risk is bone loss caused by chemotherapy, and phase III data show that a dose of zoledronic acid every 3 months during chemotherapy can prevent this problem in premenopausal women with breast cancer...
Tuesday Aug 12, 2008
Powerful Antacid Drugs Raise Fracture Risk
Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors may elevate the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures…
Monday Aug 11, 2008
How to Store Autologous Bone Graft Perioperatively
The ideal perioperative storage conditions for cancellous one is in saline or 5% glucose solution; dry conditions should be avoided…
Monday Aug 11, 2008
Hollis-Eden Initiates Phase I/II Clinical Trial With TRIOLEX™ (HE3286) in RA
Hollis-Eden's investigational, nonimmunosuppressive oral drug candidate Triolex™ (HE3286), a stabilized, synthetic analog of a naturally occurring molecule metabolized by the body, is being tested in patients diagnosed with RA who are receiving a stable dose of MTX...
Wednesday Aug 06, 2008
Statins May Help Bone Healing
Statins may improve bone healing, according to new research in an animal model of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)…
Friday Aug 01, 2008
Tiny Mitochondria May Have Big Role in OA
Mitochondrial dysfunction appears to play a major role in knee OA, and mitochondrial DNA haplotypes partly determine whether OA will develop and its severity...
Thursday Jul 24, 2008
Quantitative Imaging of Musculoskeletal Tissue
Quantitative imaging of musculoskeletal tissue is now the essential methodology in clinical practice for diagnosis and monitoring various musculoskeletal diseases
Thursday Jul 17, 2008
Drugs to Build Bones May Weaken Them
A small group of people taking bisphosphonates for 5 or more years to treat osteoporosis have had their bones weakened by the drugs that are intended to promote better bone health…
Thursday Jul 17, 2008
New OA-Associated Gene Points to β-Tubulin Connection
Variants in a gene called DVWA may increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis...
Wednesday Jul 16, 2008
Amgen Reports Positive Top-Line Results for Denosumab Treatment of Bone Loss in Men With Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer Undergoing Androgen Deprivation Therapy; Study Met Primary, Secondary Endpoints
The improvements in BMD were consistent with those seen in other denosumab studies evaluating BMD in women with breast cancer receiving aromatase inhibitor therapy and in postmenopausal women with low bone mass...
Wednesday Jul 09, 2008
Lasting Leukemia Risk for AS Patients Treated With Now Banned 224Radium (SpondylAT®)
AS patients who were treated with repeated intravenous injections of 224Radium (SpondylAT®) are at increased risk for developing leukemia…
Thursday Jul 03, 2008
Heel Ultrasound Improves Osteoporosis Diagnosis
A heel quantitative ultrasound coupled with an assessment of specific osteoporosis-related risk factors in patients can help doctors predict fracture risk and decide who would need further screening with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)…
Thursday Jul 03, 2008
Small Protein May Have Big Role In Making More Bone And Less Fat
The protein GILZ may be the key to developing therapies to fight both obesity and osteoporosis…
Tuesday Jul 01, 2008
Heel Ultrasound Helps Detect Fracture Risk
Researchers were able to assess which women are at a higher risk of hip fracture by combining the results of a heel ultrasound with known risk factors for osteoporotic fractures…
Monday Jun 30, 2008
Ghrelin, Leptin Changes Link Menstrual Dysfunction, Bone Health in Teen Athletes
Changes in two hormones that affect both appetite and estrogen secretion appear to be the link between athletic activity, loss of menstrual function, and bone health in some adolescent female athletes...
Monday Jun 30, 2008
Preclinical Studies Show that IGF-1-Producing Adult Stem Cells Zoom to Fracture Site, Speed Healing
Preclinical data reported at the 2008 ENDO meeting show that adult stem cell injections might be one approach to treating nonhealing osteoporotic fractures...
Wednesday Jun 25, 2008
Endocrinologists Wrestle With Question of How Long to Continue Bisphosphonate Therapy for Osteoporosis
The jury is still out when it comes to how long bisphosphonate therapy should be continued…
Monday Jun 23, 2008
Lilly, TransPharma Ink Licensing and Development Agreement for Transdermal PTH Program for Osteoporosis
Eli Lilly and TransPharma have entered into a licensing and development agreement for ViaDerm, an agent for the treatment of osteoporosis. Phase II clinical testing of the agent is currently underway...
Monday Jun 23, 2008
More Zoledronic Acid Fracture Reduction Data Reported at Endocrine Society Meeting
Yearly infusions of zoledronic acid 5 mg reduced fractures and increased bone mineral density (BMD) when administered with or without concomitant osteoporosis therapy…
Friday Jun 20, 2008
Longitudinal MRI Study Confirms that Rituximab Stops Progression in RA, Suggests Some Regression
Imaging studies done 1 year after rituximab (RTX) treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) confirm that progression of joint damage was stopped, and suggest that there may even have been some regression of established damage...
Thursday Jun 19, 2008
Stem Cells Might Treat Tough Fractures
Adult stem cells may be the key to healing broken bones that fail to mend properly on their own…
Tuesday Jun 17, 2008
At 1 Year, Balloon Kyphoplasty Provides Better Pain, Function Outcomes Than Nonsurgical Care for Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures
After 12 months, patients with acute vertebral compression fractures treated with balloon kyphoplasty had sustained improvements in pain and function compared with those who received nonsurgical care...
Wednesday Jun 11, 2008
Meniscal Damage, Joint Malalignment Predict Cartilage Loss in Knee OA
New research confirms that meniscal damage and joint alignment predict cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis (OA)…
Tuesday Jun 10, 2008
Novartis’ Once-Yearly Reclast® Injection 5 mg Receives Revised US Label; Indication to Include Prevention of Fractures After a Hip Fracture
The FDA has broadened the indication for once-yearly Reclast® (zoledronic acid) for postmenopausal osteoporosis to include the prevention of new clinical fractures in patients who have recently had a low-trauma hip fracture...
Monday Jun 09, 2008
Genta Announces Phase I Clinical Trial Results for G4544, an Oral Formulation of Gallium Nitrate, a Novel Potent Drug for Bone Disease
Results from the phase I clinical trial of G4544 showed that the drug was well-tolerated and that blood levels were achieved in a range known to be clinically bioactive...
Thursday Jun 05, 2008
Less Osteoporosis Care, More Hip Fractures Seen in Europe vs Other Countries
European doctors are less likely to screen for or treat osteoporosis, and hip fracture rates in Europe are higher than in North America or Australia, according to baseline data from the ongoing Global Longitudinal registry of Osteoporosis in Women (GLOW)…
Monday Jun 02, 2008
Osteologix Reports Additional Positive Phase II Data for NB S101 (strontium malonate) for Osteoporosis
Osteologix reported that the osteoporosis drug candidate was well-tolerated and significantly suppressed bone resorption while simultaneously improving bone mineral density (BMD) at 12 weeks...
Thursday May 29, 2008
Bone Drug Might Prevent Breast Cancer Spread
Zoledronic acid (Zometa®) may help prevent the spread of locally advanced breast cancer into the bone marrow…
Tuesday May 27, 2008
More Risedronate Efficacy Data Reported at AACE Meeting
A series of papers reported at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 2008 meeting adds to evidence that risedronate (Actonel®) can substantially reduce fracture risk, even when taken only 2 days per month...
Tuesday May 27, 2008
Factors Associated With Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Among Bisphosphonate Users
Researchers found a multitude of factors associated with the development of osteonecrosis of the jaw among patients taking bisphosphonates for an indication other than cancer...
Friday May 23, 2008
Iatrogenic Problems Reported in Low Back Pain, Osteoporosis Patients at AACE Meeting
Cases of iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome (CS) from intra-articular triamcinolone and iatrogenic hypercalcemia from combined teriparatide-hydrochlorothiazide were reported at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2008 meeting...
Thursday May 22, 2008
Bone Pain Can Be a Sign of Myeloma
Patients who report bone pain should be checked for myeloma, a treatable form of bone marrow cancer
Wednesday May 21, 2008
Amgen’s 2nd Phase III Denosumab Osteoporosis Study Meets Primary, Secondary BMD Endpoints in Alendronate Transition Study; Transition Patients Achieved Superior Gains in BMD
Amgen's trial comparing the effects of denosumab vs continued alendronate therapy on bone mineral density demonstrated superior results for primary and all secondary endpoints...
Monday May 19, 2008
AACE Experts Warn of Vitamin D Problems in Vegans, Urge Routine Monitoring in Osteoporosis Patients
Vitamin D deficiency research reported at the 2008 American Association for Clinical Endocrinology meetings included a warning about vegan diets, evidence that osteoporosis patients in treatment are still not getting enough vitamin D, and evidence that even a hip fracture does not lead to adequate vitamin D therapy...
Tuesday May 13, 2008
Osteologix’s IND for NB S101 (strontium malonate) to Treat Osteoporosis Accepted by US FDA
The US FDA has accepted Osteologix's IND application for NB S101 (strontium malonate), a dual-acting bone agent, to treat and prevent osteoporosis...
Thursday May 08, 2008
Docs Issue Guideline on Screening for Osteoporosis in Men
New clinical guidelines for screening may combat the expected 50% increase in osteoporosis cases in men…
Friday May 02, 2008
Icelandic and British Researchers ID Five New Osteoporosis Genes
New research spotlighting five genetic loci associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures may provide insight into the biochemical pathways that underlie osteoporosis…
Thursday May 01, 2008
Genentech, Biogen Idec Report Phase II/III Trial of Rituxan® Fails to Meet Primary or Secondary Endpoints in Lupus
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase II/III study of Rituxan® (rituximab) for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) did not meet its primary endpoint or any of the six secondary endpoints...
Thursday May 01, 2008
Cola May Be Bad to the Bones
High consumption of soda may contribute to lower bone mass and the eventual development of osteoporosis…
Thursday May 01, 2008
Widely Used Antiepileptic Drug Accelerates Bone Loss in Young Women
Phenytoin, one of the most commonly used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), causes young women to lose bone mineral density at eight times the normal rate...
Tuesday Apr 29, 2008
Women Risk Bone Loss After Knee Surgery
Women who underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered significant bone loss surrounding the knee…
Friday Apr 25, 2008
FDA Approves New Once-a-Month Dose of Actonel® (risedronate sodium) for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
The US FDA has approved a new once-a-month dose (150 mg) of Actonel® (risedronate sodium) tablets for the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis...
Monday Apr 21, 2008
Loop Diuretics Pose Osteoporosis Risk for Older Men
Loop diuretics greatly increase hip bone loss in men over age 65...
Friday Apr 18, 2008
Novartis Announces Once-Yearly Reclast Better Than Risedronate at Increasing BMD in GIO Patients; US FDA Approval Sought for Treatment and Prevention of GIO
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp reported that a once-yearly infusion of Reclast® (zoledronic acid) injection 5 mg was significantly better than risedronate at increasing BMD in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis...
Wednesday Apr 16, 2008
Lilly’s Forsteo® Receives Approval From European Commission for the Treatment of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis
Eli Lilly and Co announced that the European Commission has approved a new indication for Forsteo® (teriparatide [rDNA origin] injection) for the treatment of sustained, systemic glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) in adults at increased risk for fracture...
Tuesday Apr 15, 2008
Novartis Says Aclasta Better at Boosting Bone Mass
Novartis reported study results indicating a once-yearly infusion of Aclasta is more effective than risedronate at increasing bone mass in patients taking steroids...
Thursday Apr 10, 2008
Raloxifene Safe for Women With Decreased Kidney Function
The osteoporosis drug raloxifene is safe for women with CKD, effectively promotes bone density, and reduces fractures…
Wednesday Apr 09, 2008
Amgen Phase III Data Show Denosumab, an Inhibitor of RANK Ligand, Increased Bone Density at Multiple Skeletal Sites in Early and Later Stage Postmenopausal Women
Amgen announced results from its study in women with early and late stage postmenopausal osteoporosis that show twice-yearly subcutaneous injections of denosumab increased bone mineral density (BMD) at all sites measured...
Tuesday Apr 08, 2008
Testosterone Therapy May Reduce Bone Loss in Older Men
Testosterone injections may improve bone density and prevent osteoporosis in older men with low testosterone levels…
Monday Apr 07, 2008
Radius Fills Enrollment of Phase II Trial of BA058 for Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women; Milestone Triggers $28.3 Million Financing
Radius Health, Inc announced the completion of patient enrollment in its phase II clinical trial of BA058, an analog of hPTHrP (human parathyroid hormone-related protein)...
Wednesday Apr 02, 2008
DEXA Scans, Serum Testosterone, Vitamin D Tests Urged for Men Over 70
Osteoporosis in men is a common problem and requires more aggressive diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of response...
Tuesday Apr 01, 2008
Analysis of Contrast-Enhanced MRI of Hands and Wrists in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis
Contrast-enhanced MRI demonstrates bone marrow edema, erosions, tendon and soft tissue disease, and median nerve involvement in patients with PsA of the hands and wrists…
Monday Mar 31, 2008
CRP, Anti-CCP, Ultrasound Can Predict Which RA Patients Need Early, Aggressive Treatment to Stave Off Rapid Progression
RA patients with rapidly progressing disease will benefit most from aggressive early treatment with biologics and can be identified using markers such as CRP, anti-CCP, and ultrasound evidence of joint erosion...
Monday Mar 24, 2008
Chronic TNF Response Sustains Inflammation but Partly Protects Bones
A newly-discovered autocrine loop in TNF-stimulated macrophages sustains expression of inflammatory mediators and sets up macrophages to respond to endogenous inflammatory factors, but may also protect bones...
Thursday Mar 20, 2008
Pain Relief for Osteoporosis Patients With Fractures
Vertobroplasty provides significant pain relief for osteoporosis patients with spinal fractures…
Thursday Mar 20, 2008
Sickle Cell Bone Disease: Response to Vitamin D and Calcium
Patients with sickle cell disease should be screened for vitamin D deficiency and low bone mineral density…
Wednesday Mar 19, 2008
LRP5 Gene Variants Linked to Fractures, Lower BMD
Common LRP5 gene variants are associated with an increased risk for fractures and lower levels of bone mineral density (BMD) in the spine and hip across different white populations…
Monday Mar 17, 2008
More Support for WHO's FRAX Fracture Risk Assessment Tool
The International Osteoporosis Foundation hails the use of the new algorithm called FRAX™, which is based on absolute fracture risk and takes bone mineral density (BMD) and 9 specific clinical risk factors into account to estimate a patient's 10-year fracture risk…
Thursday Mar 13, 2008
Thyroid Hormone Could One Day Treat Osteoporosis
Thyroid stimulating hormone prevented bone loss in experiments with mice and rats...
Tuesday Mar 11, 2008
Lilly’s Forsteo® Receives Positive Opinion From European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use to Treat Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis
Eli Lilly and Co announced that they have received a positive opinion recommending approval of Forsteo® (teriparatide [rDNA origin] injection) for the treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) in adults at increased risk for fracture...
Tuesday Mar 11, 2008
AAOS Researchers Warn of Alendronate Fracture Risk
Two studies reported at the AAOS meeting warned of a possible increase in risk of low-energy or stress fractures associated with long-term use of alendronate...
Monday Mar 10, 2008
AAOS Panel Presents Hip Resurfacing as Option for Some Younger Patients
Hip resurfacing may emerge as a preferred option for some younger arthritis patients...
Monday Mar 10, 2008
AAOS Debates Gender-Specific Joint Implants
Joint replacement experts say implant should fit body, not gender...
Tuesday Mar 04, 2008
Karo Bio AB, Zydus Cadila to Develop Selective Glucocorticoid Receptor Modulators to Treat Inflammatory Diseases; Karo Reacquires Rights to SARMs From Radius
Karo Bio AB and Zydus Cadila announced a 3-year research collaboration to discover and develop novel, selective glucocorticoid receptor (GR) modulators for the treatment of inflammatory diseases...
Thursday Feb 28, 2008
Acceleron, Celgene to Collaborate on Anabolic Bone Agent ACE-011, a Decoy Activin Receptor, for Cancer-Related Bone Loss
Acceleron Pharma and Celgene Corp announced a worldwide strategic collaboration for the development and commercialization of ACE-011, a novel bone-forming compound for the treatment of cancer-related bone loss...
Monday Feb 25, 2008
New Guide Helps Predict 10-Year Fracture Risk
A new guide can help doctors evaluate fracture risk and make treatment decisions in patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis...
Thursday Feb 21, 2008
Women More Likely to Postpone New Knees
Women are waiting longer to undergo knee replacement surgery than men, and the delay may cause greater disability...
Wednesday Feb 20, 2008
Pfizer Gains Worldwide Exclusive License From Scil Technology for CD-RAP, a Novel Cartilage Growth Factor, in OA
Pfizer Inc and Scil Technology GmbH have signed a worldwide license agreement for Scil Technology's cartilage specific growth factor CD-RAP (cartilage-derived retinoic-acid-sensitive protein)...
Tuesday Feb 19, 2008
Big-Time Injury Strikes Little Players
An increasing number of child and adolescent athletes are being diagnosed with torn ACLs...
Thursday Feb 14, 2008
Risedronate for Prevention of Bone Mineral Density Loss in Patients Receiving High-Dose Glucocorticoids
Risedronate improves spinal bone mineral density in patients receiving high-dose glucocorticoids...
Wednesday Feb 13, 2008
Hollis-Eden Initiates Phase I/II Clinical Trial With Oral Anti-Inflammatory Drug Candidate Triolexâ„¢ in UC; RA Study Planned in 2Q/08
Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced that it has begun a phase I/II clinical trial with Triolexâ„¢ (HE3286), an insulin sensitizer for ulcerative colitis...
Tuesday Feb 05, 2008
MGH Center is a Pioneer in Knee Repair
Physicians at the Massachusetts General Hospital sports medicine center are experimenting with new techniques for joint reconstruction in athletes...
Monday Feb 04, 2008
Cochrane Review: Alendronate Safe, Effective for Secondary Fracture Prevention
Alendronate can stave off vertebral, nonvertebral, hip, and wrist fractures among postmenopausal women with low bone density and/or those with previous fractures...
Thursday Jan 31, 2008
Alendronate Decreases TRACP 5b Activity in Osteoarthritic Bone
Bisphosphonates may reduce TRACP 5b activity in the intertrochanteric area of the femoral head, suggesting that they are most effective in areas of well-supplied bone...
Monday Jan 28, 2008
Amgen Reports Denosumab Osteoporosis Study Met Primary and All Secondary BMD Endpoints in a Direct Comparison With Weekly Alendronate (Fosamax®)
Amgen Inc announced findings from a head-to-head, double-blind study comparing the effects of twice-yearly subcutaneous injections of denosumab versus weekly oral doses of alendronate in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density...
Monday Jan 28, 2008
Genentech, Biogen Idec, Roche Report Rituxan® (rituximab, MabThera®) Phase III Trial Meets Study Endpoints in RA; Use as First-Line Biologic Therapy Improves Symptoms
Genentech, Inc, Biogen Idec, and Roche Pharmaceuticals announced that a pivotal phase III study of rituximab (Rituxan®) met its primary endpoint of greater proportion of biologic-naïve RA patients achieving ACR20 response at week 24, compared with placebo...
Friday Jan 25, 2008
Do Calcium Supplements Help Bones at the Expense of the Heart?
Calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in healthy postmenopausal women...
Friday Jan 25, 2008
Low Serum Testosterone Predicts Fracture Risk in Older Men
Men with serum testosterone <294 ng/dL have a significantly increased risk of nontraumatic fracture and should be referred for bone density assessment...
Friday Jan 18, 2008
Bone Experts Slam New UK Limits on Osteoporosis Drugs
Some of the biggest names in osteoporosis have signed on to two papers in Bone that criticize the latest UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendations on drugs for prevention of osteoporotic fractures, in essence charging that the agency gamed its analysis to cut costs for the National Health Service...
Tuesday Jan 15, 2008
Anika Enrolls First Patient in US Clinical Study for Monoviscâ„¢ for Knee Joint Pain Relief; Expects Product Launch in Europe in First Half 2008
Anika Therapeutics, Inc announced that it has enrolled the first patient in a multicenter pivotal study evaluating its single-injection osteoarthritis (OA) product, Monoviscâ„¢...
Tuesday Jan 15, 2008
Three More Cases of Significant Neutropenia Lead to Recommendation for Routine CBC Monitoring
Three more cases of significant neutropenia in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis patients treated with etanercept lead to a recommendation for regular monitoring of complete blood counts (CBC)...
Tuesday Jan 15, 2008
Evaluation of a Quantitative Scoring of Enthesitis in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Researchers assessed the validity of an enthesitis index calculated by algometric pressure pain threshold scoring...
Friday Jan 11, 2008
Earlier Knee Replacement Urged for Women With OA
Women wait until much later in the osteoarthritis disease process to have total knee arthroplasty, and this delay may be jeopardizing functional recovery...
Friday Jan 11, 2008
aRigel Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial of JAK3 Inhibitor R348 for RA, Psoriasis, and Other Immune Disorders
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced that it has initiated the enrollment of patients in a phase I clinical study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of R348, an orally bioavailable, potent (<100 nM) and selective inhibitor of Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) as a potential treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and other immune disorders...
Tuesday Jan 08, 2008
FDA Warns of Severe Bone, Joint, Muscle Pain Linked to Bisphosphonates
FDA warning highlights "severe and sometimes incapacitating" musculoskeletal pain in patients taking bisphosphonates...
Thursday Jan 03, 2008
Practice Tips: Using Color or Power Doppler Ultrasound in Rheumatology
Danish researchers have proposed settings for Doppler ultrasound (US) designed to improve detection of inflammation, visualized as hyperemia in locations such as the synovial membrane...
Friday Dec 21, 2007
Galapagos to Collaborate With Lilly in OA and to Receive Milestone Payment of €7.5 Million in OA Alliance with GSK
Galapagos NV, an integrated drug discovery company with preclinical programs in bone and joint diseases, announced that it has entered into a global collaboration agreement with Eli Lilly and Co to develop a novel class of medicines with potential to stimulate bone formation for the treatment of osteoarthritis...
Thursday Dec 20, 2007
OARSI Researchers Further Refine Matrix-Associated Cartilage Repair Techniques
Matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation continues to improve as a way of repairing arthritis knees, and MRI can be used to check the quality of the repaired tissue...
Wednesday Dec 19, 2007
Synovitis, Effusion, Bone Marrow Lesions Tagged As Modifiable Factors in Knee Pain
Knee pain fluctuation correlates with changes in several modifiable MRI features: synovitis, effusion, and bone marrow lesions...
Tuesday Dec 18, 2007
Amgen's Pivotal Phase III Data Show Denosumab With Twice-Yearly Dosing Increased BMD Throughout Skeleton in Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer Patients on Adjuvant Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy; Study Met All Primary and Secondary Endpoints
Amgen Inc announced that pivotal phase III data show that denosumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand, a key mediator of the resorptive phase of bone remodeling, increased bone mineral density throughout the skeleton in nonmetastatic breast cancer patients on adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy...
Friday Dec 14, 2007
Acologix Reports AC-100 Promotes Articular Surface Restoration and Subchondral Bone Healing in Osteochondral Defect Study in Goats
Acologix, Inc announced preclinical study results demonstrating that AC-100 (Dentonin®) promoted cartilage regeneration in an animal model. Dentonin is a synthetic peptide derived from an endogenous human protein produced by bone and dental cells...
Thursday Dec 13, 2007
MRI Bone Edema Shows Differences, Similarities in RA and OA
MRI bone edema predicts radiographic progression in RA and correlates with pain in OA...
Monday Dec 10, 2007
Doctors Rally to Save DXA from Medicare Cuts
If proposed Medicare cuts that would drastically reduce access to dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) are approved, many physicians will be unable able to offer DXA services in their offices and undetected osteoporotic fracture rates are likely to climb, healthcare researchers predict...
Thursday Dec 06, 2007
IM Vitamin D Provides Little Fracture Protection in Relatively Healthy, Community-Dwelling Elderly
If fracture risk in the elderly is associated with low vitamin D levels, why doesn't an annual vitamin D injection reduce fracture rates?...
Thursday Nov 29, 2007
Osiris Announces Clinically and Statistically Significant 1-Year Data From Phase I/II Trial of Chondrogenâ„¢; OA Knee Patients Receive Single Injection of Adult Stem Cells Into Knee
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc, a leading stem cell therapeutic company, announced positive 1-year interim results in the evaluation of Chondrogenâ„¢, a preparation of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors and formulated for direct injection into the knee...
Thursday Nov 29, 2007
Osteoporosis Also Contributes to High-Trauma Fractures
Physicians should evaluate older patients with high-trauma nonspine fractures for osteoporosis...
Monday Nov 26, 2007
Teriparatide Builds More Bone Than Alendronate in Steroid-Caused Osteoporosis
Teriparatide built more bone mass and prevented more vertebral fractures than alendronate in the first head-to-head study of the two drugs for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis...
Tuesday Nov 13, 2007
Single Botulinum Toxin Injection Smooths Out OA Shoulder Pain
A single intra-articular injection of botulinum toxin type A relieved shoulder pain for a month in patients with refractory OA...
Friday Nov 09, 2007
Efalizumab Suspected of Triggering Arthritis in Subset of Psoriasis Patients
A small subset of patients treated with efalizumab for severe plaque psoriasis developed new-onset psoriatic arthritis...
Friday Nov 09, 2007
Control of Osteoclast Development Goes Awry in Gout
Patients with tophaceous gout have disordered osteoclast development partly due to the effect of uric acid crystals on bone marrow stromal cells...
Thursday Nov 08, 2007
Centocor, Schering-Plough's Anti-TNF Golimumab Significantly Improved Articular, Skin, and Nail Manifestations in Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis in Phase III Study; Met Primary and Major Secondary Endpoints
Centocor, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, announced that patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) receiving monthly subcutaneous injections of golimumab experienced significant and sustained improvements in the joint and skin manifestations of the disease, according to findings from the largest phase III biologic study (GO-REVEAL trial) in PsA subjects...
Wednesday Nov 07, 2007
Osteologix Reports Osteoporosis Phase II Trial of Strontium Malonate Meets Primary Endpoint
Osteologix, Inc, a specialty biopharmaceutical company targeting musculoskeletal diseases, announced positive top-line results of an international, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled phase II dose-response of its lead investigational drug, strontium malonate (NB S101) for osteoporosis...
Friday Nov 02, 2007
Strontium Ranelate May Slow Osteoarthritis Progression
The osteoporosis drug strontium ranelate (Protelos®) may stop or slow the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) and also might alleviate back pain...
Friday Oct 26, 2007
Rituximab May "Reboot" Immune System in Some Lupus Patients
A subgroup of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients treated with rituximab to deplete B-cells have delayed recovery of memory B-cells in addition to a prolonged response, suggesting that treatment helps "reboot" the immune system...
Thursday Oct 25, 2007
Prostate Cancer Doubles Fracture Risk
Men with prostate cancer treated with orchidectomy or androgen deprivation are at increased risk for fractures, particularly of the hip, and should have bone density evaluated regularly...
Thursday Oct 25, 2007
Galápagos, Janssen Form Global Alliance to Develop Oral Small Molecule Therapeutics for Multiple Targets in RA
Galápagos NV, a drug discovery company with clinical and preclinical programs in bone and joint diseases, announced that it has entered into a worldwide multitarget alliance with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV to discover and develop small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...
Monday Oct 22, 2007
Hollis-Eden Reports Positive Data Demonstrating That Anti-Inflammatory Agent HE3286 (TriolexTM) Provides Benefit in Animal Models of Ulcerative Colitis and RA; Will Initiate Phase I/II Clinical Study in RA
Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a company focused on the development of a proprietary new class of small molecules that are metabolites or synthetic analogs of endogenous adrenal steroid hormones, announced additional data on drug candidate HE3286 (TriolexTM), an orally active, second generation, synthetic 17-ethynyl derivative of the steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), currently in preclinical and clinical study for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders...
Monday Oct 15, 2007
Enlarging Bone Marrow Lesions Add to Knee Pain
Research shows that new onset knee pain was strongly linked with an increase of two or more units in bone marrow lesions...
Friday Oct 12, 2007
Novartis' Aclasta® Receives EU Approval as First Once-Yearly Treatment for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG announced that Aclasta® (zoledronic acid 5 mg) has received EU approval as the first once-yearly treatment for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis...
Thursday Oct 04, 2007
Celera Receives Clinical Milestone Payment Based on Merck's Advancement of Odanacatib, a Cathepsin K Inhibitor; Phase III Trial for Osteoporosis Initiated
Celera, an Applera Corp business, announced a clinical milestone payment of $2 million from Merck & Co, Inc, under the cathepsin K inhibitor collaboration agreement between the companies...
Monday Oct 01, 2007
Vigorous Exercise May Benefit Knees
Breaking a sweat while exercising at least once a week for around 20 minutes may stave off the development of knee osteoarthritis...
Friday Sep 28, 2007
Surprise Data From ASBMR: Keep Antiresorptive Going When Adding Teriparatide
A randomized trial testing whether osteoporosis patients on long-term antiresorptive treatment benefit more from switching to teriparatide or from adding the new drug shows conclusively that it is better to add than to switch...
Thursday Sep 27, 2007
Panel Issues New Guidelines for Use of Imaging in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Although standard X-rays are essential for diagnosis and MRI may help diagnose early cases before radiographic damage develops, no form of imaging is yet useful for monitoring response to treatment or for routine monitoring of disease progression in AS, experts say...
Tuesday Sep 25, 2007
Radius Grants Novartis Exclusive Option to License BA058, an Analog of PTHrP, for Osteoporosis; Potentially Worth Over $500 Million
Radius Health, Inc, a company focused on the discovery and development of drug therapies for osteoporosis and women's health, announced that it has granted Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp an option to obtain an exclusive worldwide license (except Japan) to develop and commercialize all formulations of BA058, its postmenopausal osteoporosis drug candidate...
Tuesday Sep 25, 2007
Alendronate-Related Giant Osteoclasts Reported by Two Research Groups at ASBMR
Long-term alendronate triggers formation of a new type of giant osteoclast that might lead to mistaken diagnosis of Paget's disease that does not appear to have resorptive ability, and that can still transmit signals needed by osteoclasts for bone formation, perhaps even increasing the efficacy of teriparatide...
Friday Sep 21, 2007
TNF Blockade Slows But Does Not Stop X-Ray Progression in AS
Four-year follow-up data show that infliximab slows but does not inhibit radiographic progression in AS…
Thursday Sep 20, 2007
Vitamin D + Calcium Decrease Risk of Falling; Vitamin K1 Effect Not Due to Improved BMD
Researchers at the ASBRM report that vitamin D and calcium decrease the risk of falling in postmenopausal women and that the protective effect of vitamin K1 is not due to improving BMD...Kärkkäinen M, et al; Cheung AM, et al. ASBMR 2007.
Wednesday Sep 19, 2007
Falls Increase as Shrinking Kidney Function Lowers Balance, Muscle Strength in Elderly
Creatinine clearance of less than 65 mL/min is associated with an increased risk for falls, apparently because decreasing calcitriol serum levels jeopardizes balance and muscle strength...Dukas LC, et al. ASBMR 2007.
Tuesday Sep 18, 2007
Inhaler Might Replace PTH Self-Injection to Prevent Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Parathyroid hormone effectively increases postmenopausal BMD but has the downside of requiring self injection, which decreases compliance. Delivery of a PTH analogue via a dry-powder inhaler might be just as good...Morley P, et al. ASBMR 2007.
Monday Sep 17, 2007
Once-Yearly Zoledronate Cuts Mortality After Hip Fracture by 28%
A single yearly dose of zoledronic acid can significantly reduce the risk of second fracture and decrease mortality in older patients who have had a hip fracture...Lyles KW, et al. ASBMR 2007.
Tuesday Sep 11, 2007
Synovio-Entheseal Complex Seen As Key to Psoriatic Arthritis, Spondylarthropathies
The synovio-entheseal complex (SEC), where the enthesis and synovium come together in a synovial joint, links joint damage and innate immune activation leading to joint inflammation...McGonagle D, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2482-2491.
Thursday Sep 06, 2007
Knee Monoarthritis May Be a Harbinger of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Mild-to-moderate knee monoarthritis may be an early warning sign of non-small-cell lung cancer in heavy smokers...
Wednesday Sep 05, 2007
Health Canada Approves Actonel® 75 mg; First 2-Day Monthly Dosing Regimen to Treat Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
The Alliance for Better Bone Health, formed in 1997 by Procter & Gamble and Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc (now part of sanofi-aventis) to promote bone health and disease awareness, announced that the government's Health Canada has approved Actonel® (risedronate sodium tablets) 75 mg, the first monthly 2-day dosing regimen for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis...
Thursday Aug 30, 2007
Vitamin K2 Supplements Protect Bone Architecture
Three years of dietary supplementation with vitamin K2 maintained bone strength and architecture despite having little effect on BMD...
Tuesday Aug 28, 2007
Diseased Blood Vessels in the Bone May Cause or Aggravate OA
Vascular pathology may play a role in the pathogenesis or progression of osteoarthritis…Findlay DM. Rheumatology. 2007; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kem191 [Epub ahead of print].
Tuesday Aug 28, 2007
Interleukin Genetics Collaborates With NYU Medical Center to Evaluate Genetic Patterns Associated With IL-1β Overproduction and Development of Polyarticular OA
Interleukin Genetics, a genetics-focused personalized health company, announced today that it has initiated a study on the genetics of osteoarthritis (OA) in collaboration with the Hospital for Joint Diseases of New York University Medical Center...
Monday Aug 27, 2007
Harkness Dance Medicine Head Urges Clinicians to Prepare for the "High School Musical 2" Generation
Musicals are back, dance classes are filled, clinicians are facing more dancers or former dancers with musculoskeletal problems, and dance medicine experts are urging clinicians to heed the beat of dancing feet...
Monday Aug 20, 2007
Novartis' Once-Yearly Reclast® Receives US FDA Approval for Women With Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp announced that its once-yearly, 15-minute infusion treatment of Reclast® (zoledronic acid) injection has been approved by the US FDA for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis...
Tuesday Aug 14, 2007
Xencor's XProâ„¢1595, a Dominant-Negative Inhibitor of Soluble TNFα, Demonstrates Target Selectivity and Attenuates Experimental Arthritis Without Suppressing Innate Immunity to Infection
Xencor, Inc, a company developing protein and antibody therapeutics, announced positive preclinical data for XProâ„¢1595 DN-TNFâ„¢, a highly selective, dominant-negative (DN) inhibitor of soluble TNFα and a first-in-class protein therapeutic drug candidate for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...
Thursday Aug 09, 2007
Osteoporosis Screening, Treatment Recommended for Older Men Only if History of Fracture or Over Age 80
Osteoporosis screening of all men over age 70 plus bisphosphonates for those with osteoporosis is not a cost-effective strategy for fracture prevention at current drug cost levels but might be reasonable for men 65 or older with prior fracture and for men 80 or older even without prior fracture...Schousboe JT, et al. JAMA. 2007;298:629-637.
Thursday Aug 09, 2007
Calcitonin Study Heightens Interest in Antiresorptive Agents to Prevent OA Joint Damage
Calcitonin prevents the development of OA in an animal model and adds to evidence that antiresorptive agents can protect both cartilage and bone...
Thursday Aug 02, 2007
Stem Cell Transplants Offer Hope for Children With Severe, Refractory JIA
Intensive immunosuppression followed by T-cell-depleted autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation offers refractory JIA patients a chance for remission, but is it worth the risks?…Brinkman DMC, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2410-2421.
Thursday Aug 02, 2007
TNF Inhibitors May Restore Adrenal Function in RA
TNF inhibitors appear to improve adrenal function in some RA patients, resulting in restoration of stable hormonal homeostasis...
Thursday Jul 26, 2007
Vitamin C After Wrist Fracture Prevents Chronic Pain Syndrome
Vitamin C (500 mg/day) taken for 50 days after wrist fracture significantly reduces the risk of developing complex regional pain syndrome...
Wednesday Jul 25, 2007
Hip Protectors Fail to Prevent Hip Fracture in Nursing Home Residents
Energy-absorbing/shunting hip protectors do not protect nursing home residents from hip fractures…Kiel DP, et al. JAMA. 2007;298:413-422.
Tuesday Jul 24, 2007
Novartis Receives Positive Opinion Supporting EU Approval for Aclasta® as the First Once-Yearly Treatment for Women With Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG announced that it has been informed by the European Medicines Agency that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion on the marketing application for the use of Aclasta®.
Tuesday Jul 17, 2007
Prospective Study Validates ESR and CRP as Screening Tests for Infection Before Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty
ESR and CRP can be used to differentiate infected from noninfected knees prior to revision total knee arthroplasty…
Wednesday Jul 11, 2007
Corin's Hip Resurfacing System Gains US FDA Approval; Stryker to Market in the US in Third Quarter of 2007
Stryker Corp, one of the world's leading medical technology companies with a broad range of products in orthopaedics, announced that it will begin marketing the Corin Group PLC's CormetTM Hip Resurfacing System by the third quarter of 2007...
Monday Jul 09, 2007
P&GP and Dong Wha Form Osteoporosis Alliance
Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, and Dong Wha Pharmaceutical Ind Co, a leading Korean pharmaceutical company, announced a strategic alliance under which P&GP will have rights to develop and commercialize Dong Wha's novel class of molecules for the treatment of osteoporosis, including the drug DW 1350 and a family of backup compounds...
Thursday Jul 05, 2007
Galapagos Expands OA Alliance With GSK
Galapagos NV, a drug-discovery company with clinical and preclinical programs in bone and joint diseases, announced that is has expanded its existing multiyear osteoarthritis (OA) alliance with GlaxoSmithKline and that it has issued 513,281 new shares for an investment of 4.4 million EUR (approximately 6 million USD) by GSK. In the expanded program, GSK will bring a drug-discovery program against a selected GSK target into the alliance, and Galapagos will advance a disease-modifying drug toward completion of clinical phase IIa (proof-of-concept phase), at which point GSK's global research and development branch will be responsible for the late-stage development, production, and marketing of the drug...
Thursday Jun 28, 2007
FDA Approves New Labeling for Carticel® in Repair of Articular Knee Cartilage
Genzyme Corporation announced that the US FDA has approved new labeling for Carticel® based on the company's completing a final FDA postapproval commitment study...
Thursday Jun 28, 2007
Knee OA Synovitis Linked To Pain but Not To Cartilage Loss
Longitudinal MRI shows that changes in knee synovitis correlate with pain but not with cartilage loss in knee OA and suggest that treatment targeted to synovitis may improve pain…
Thursday Jun 28, 2007
Zoledronate Reduces Bone Turnover, Preserves Bone Quality
Once-yearly zoledronate infusion both reduces bone turnover and preserves trabecular bone structure…
Wednesday Jun 27, 2007
Roche and Toyama Chemical Execute Agreement to Develop and Commercialize an Inhibitor of the Transcription Factor AP-1 (Activator Protein-1) to Treat RA
Roche Pharmaceuticals and Toyama Chemical Co, Ltd announced that they have entered into a licensing agreement for the worldwide research, development, and commercialization of Toyama's rheumatoid arthritis (RA) agent T-5224, an orally bioavailable inhibitor of the transcription factor AP-1 (Activator Protein-1).
Tuesday Jun 19, 2007
Single Dose of Denosumab Reduces Bone Erosion in RA
MRI and X-ray data show that a single dose of denosumab reduces progression of bone erosions in RA patients...
Wednesday Jun 13, 2007
Stopping AS May Require Earlier Use of TNF-Inhibitors
Inflammation in AS stops once the subchondral bone is eroded and the bone/cartilage interface disappears, so preventing bone erosion and syndesmophyte formation is likely to require early anti-inflammatory treatment, including TNF-inhibitors...
Monday Jun 11, 2007
Centocor's Remicade® (Infliximab) Receives EU Approval as First and Only Biologic for the Treatment of Pediatric Patients With Severe, Active Crohn's Disease
Centocor, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough Corp, announced that the European Commission has approved a new indication for Remicade (infliximab) allowing for the treatment of severe, active Crohn's disease (CD) in pediatric patients ages 6 to 17 years, who have not responded to conventional therapy including a corticosteroid, an immunomodulator, and primary nutrition therapy, or who are intolerant to, or have contraindications for such therapies...
Thursday Jun 07, 2007
High Plasma Homocysteine Predicts Hip Fracture
Elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) may be a modifiable risk factor for osteoporotic hip fracture...
Monday Jun 04, 2007
Is Resistance Exercise the Fountain of Youth?
Resistance training may help reverse aging in skeletal muscle by altering mitochondrial function among healthy seniors...
Tuesday May 29, 2007
Biomechanics, Damage Outside Cartilage May Doom Chondroprotection
Chondroprotection seemed like a reasonable approach to OA when the disease was thought to result from wear and tear on cartilage, but it has had little success in clinical trials. Biomechanics and damage outside the cartilage may be the reason...
Monday May 21, 2007
Risedronate Bests Alendronate for Fracture Reduction in REAL-World Setting
Patients receiving once-weekly risedronate have lower rates of hip and nonvertebral fractures during their first year of therapy than their counterparts who receive once-weekly alendronate...
Thursday May 17, 2007
Airport Metal Detectors Find Most Hip, Knee Replacements
Airport metal detectors on "high security" sweeps detect most hip and knee implants. Patients who have implants should be provided with a physician's letter describing the implant and are advised to report the implant to airport security before approaching the scanner...
Tuesday May 15, 2007
Echorheumatology: Will Growing Interest in Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography Result in a New Subspecialty?
UK rheumatologists sound off on some of the barriers to in-office ultrasonography...
Tuesday May 15, 2007
TNF-α, IL-1 Mediate Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Blocking TNF-α or IL-1 can slow postmenopausal bone loss...
Tuesday May 08, 2007
2-Year Results Support Use of New Chondrocyte Graft to Repair Knee OA Damage
Two-year follow-up of a new 3-dimensional scaffold that permits grafting of autologous chondrocyte to repair knee cartilage defects show promising results in both knee OA and knee trauma, and the procedure can be done arthroscopically...
Monday May 07, 2007
Novartis' Once-Yearly ReclastR Significantly Reduces Bone Fractures in Women With Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp announced that its once-yearly treatment of ReclastR (zoledronic acid) significantly reduces the incidence of all types of osteoporotic bone fractures in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis...
Wednesday May 02, 2007
Yearly Injection of Zoledronic Acid Cuts Spine Fracture Risk by 70%
A single intravenous 5-mg dose of zoledronic acid (Reclast®), given once yearly, can significantly reduce the risk of vertebral, hip,and other fractures, but its major advantage may lie in the ease of administration…
Tuesday May 01, 2007
Rituximab Plus Cyclophosphamide May Be an Option for Patients With Refractory Lupus Nephritis
A new 6-month pilot study suggests that rituximab (RituxanR) plus cyclophosphamide leads to clinical and histopathologic improvements in patients with therapy-resistant proliferative lupus nephritis...
Tuesday May 01, 2007
MRI Erosions, Edema in RA Are Due to Inflammatory Infiltrates in Bone Marrow
Bone erosions and bone marrow edema seen with MRI in joints affected by RA are due to inflammatory infiltrates that have invaded the bone marrow...
Monday Apr 30, 2007
RA Synovial Hyperplasia Linked to Protein That Prevents Apoptosis
Decoy receptor 3, previously found in tumor cells, is also produced in RA and OA synoviocytes and inhibits apoptosis of synoviocytes, perhaps contributing to synovial hyperplasia and pannus formation in rheumatoid joints...
Friday Apr 27, 2007
Wyeth Receives Approvable Letter from FDA for Bazedoxifene for the Prevention of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, announced that the US FDA has issued an approvable letter for bazedoxifene (ViviantTM), a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis...
Thursday Apr 26, 2007
Balance Training May Help Reverse Frailty, Prevent Osteoporosis-Related Fractures
Balance training alone or in combination with strength, agility and jumping training can reduce the risk of falls and prevent frailty in women at risk of osteoporosis…
Wednesday Apr 25, 2007
Varus Alignment Doubles Risk for Knee OA in Overweight Subjects
Varus knee alignment precedes and doubles the risk of new-onset knee OA in overweight or obese subjects and worsens disease progression...
Tuesday Mar 27, 2007
Osteoporosis Fractures, Costs Expected to Jump 50% by 2025
Hispanics likely to experience increases in fractures and their costs. Pelvic fractures and associated costs are expected to double by 2025…
Wednesday Mar 21, 2007
BioMimetic Receives Orphan Drug Designation for rhPDGF-BB Treatment of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc, an emerging leader in developing and commercializing bioactive drug-device combination drugs to heal musculoskeletal injuries and disease, including periodontal, orthopaedic, spine and sports injuries, announced that it has received orphan drug designation from the US FDA for its protein therapeutic, recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor (rhPDGF-BB)...
Monday Mar 19, 2007
Medivir Begins Initial Clinical Trial of Osteoporosis Drug Cathepsin K Inhibitor
Medivir AB, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, announced the start of its first osteoporosis clinical trial of MIV-701, an orally bioavailable inhibitor of cathepsin K, a thiol (cysteine) protease that is expressed by osteoclasts and degrades key bone and cartilage matrix proteins, including type 1 collagen...
Thursday Mar 15, 2007
MIC-1 May Be a Biomarker for Erosive Disease in RA
Serum levels of the transforming growth factor ß superfamily member MIC-1 may help clinicians identify rheumatoid arthritis patients who are at greatest risk for erosive disease and thus are candidates for aggressive therapy…
Thursday Mar 15, 2007
Growing Conflict-of-Interest Concerns Drive Demands for International Registration of All Clinical Trials
Growing evidence of a correlation between industry sponsorship of clinical trials and reported outcomes favorable to the sponsor are driving demands for an international clinical trials registration system that would include data beginning with phase I studies and continuing through completion of phase III trials...
Monday Mar 12, 2007
Novartis, Nordic Bioscience to Initiate Osteoporosis Phase III Program Using Emisphere's EligenR Technology for Oral Salmon Calcitonin
Emisphere Technologies, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the oral delivery of otherwise injectable drugs, announces that Novartis Pharmaceutical AG and its development partner Nordic Bioscience A/S will initiate a phase III clinical trial for the treatment of osteoporosis with an oral form of salmon calcitonin (SMC021), a new drug candidate, using Emisphere's eligen® delivery technology...
Tuesday Mar 06, 2007
Coxibs and Other NSAIDs Delay Fracture Healing If Used At Wrong Time
Use of COX-2 inhibitors to deaden pain in the 14 days after a fracture might also inhibit fracture healing, although use of the drugs prior to or more than 2 weeks after injury seems safe...
Monday Mar 05, 2007
New Study Suggests MRI Might Be Alternative to Radiographic JSW as Efficacy Measure for Osteoarthritis Drugs
Radiographic JSW remains the gold standard for assessing progression of knee OA in clinical trials, but new research suggests that MRI might be a reasonable alternative...
Tuesday Feb 27, 2007
GSK Reports Clinical Trial Observation of an Increased Incidence of Fractures in Female Patients Who Received Long-Term Treatment with Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate) Tablets for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) informs healthcare providers of recent safety data concerning rosiglitazone-containing products, ie, Avandia® (rosiglitazone maleate) tablets, AvandametR (rosiglitazone maleate and metformin hydrochloride) tablets, and Avandarylâ„¢ (rosiglitazone maleate and glimepiride) tablets...
Tuesday Feb 20, 2007
Osiris's Chondrogenâ„¢ Adult Stem Cell Therapy Fails to Demonstrate Cartilage Regeneration According to Interim Results from Phase I/II Study
Osiris Therapeutics, a leader in adult stem cell therapy, announced that 6-month interim results from its phase I/II clinical study of Chondrogenâ„¢, a preparation of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors and specially formulated for direct injection into the knee for the regeneration of the meniscus in the knee and prevention of osteoarthritis, failed to demonstrate significant amounts of meniscal regeneration...
Tuesday Feb 20, 2007
Suspect CVID if Lupus Patients Have Recurrent Sinus Infections
Rheumatologists should suspect CVID in lupus patients with recurrent sinopulmonary infections in the absence of lupus activity and/or immunosuppressive treatment. Treatment with gammaglobulins may be highly effective for this rare but potentially deadly disease...
Thursday Feb 15, 2007
Experts at the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Predict Clinically Useful Gene Therapy, Tissue Engineering Will Be Available "in 5 to 10 Years"
Presentations at the AAOS meeting include advances in both gene therapy and tissue-engineered products for cartilage, bone, and tendon repair...
Thursday Jan 25, 2007
Anti-Infliximab Antibodies Linked to Nonresponse in AS
New research outlines some drawbacks and limitations in the use of TNF-inhibitors among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and other forms of spondylarthritis...
Tuesday Jan 23, 2007
Older Men Are as Vulnerable to Second Osteoporotic Fractures as Women—and Receive Even Less Treatment
After a first low-trauma fracture, men are as likely as women to have a second fracture and are less likely to receive osteoporosis care...
Wednesday Jan 17, 2007
Rheumatologists May Be Doing Better at Treating Osteoporosis in RA Patients
Management of osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients has improved modestly since 1999 (at least in one large academic practice)...
Wednesday Jan 17, 2007
Genzyme's Cerezyme Improves Bone Mineral Density in Patients With Type 1 Gaucher Disease
Genzyme Corporation (CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts) announced that long-term use of Cerezyme® (imiglucerase for injection) significantly improves bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with Type 1 Gaucher disease in a dose-dependent manner. Cerezyme, an enzyme replacement therapy, is the standard of care for patients with Type 1 Gaucher disease who are at increased risk for developing bone complications, including osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fractures...
Tuesday Jan 16, 2007
FDA Sets New Rule on Calcium/Vitamin D Osteoporosis Claims for Food, Diet Supplement Labeling
The FDA will permit a new "calcium plus vitamin D" claim in food and dietary supplement labeling for reducing the risk of osteoporosis and will shorten the required label in the hope that more dairy, juice, and other products that qualify will put it on their packaging, thus increasing consumer awareness...
Thursday Jan 11, 2007
New Study Challenges Role of Low Vitamin D in OA Worsening
Low vitamin D levels did not predict worsening of knee OA joint space narrowing or cartilage loss...
Wednesday Jan 10, 2007
GlaxoSmithKline to Acquire Praecis Pharmaceuticals for US$54.8 Million; Acquisition Includes Inhibitor of Methionine Aminopeptidase Type-2 for RA
GlaxoSmithKline plc and Praecis Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (WALTHAM, Massachusetts) announced the execution of a definitive agreement providing for GSK to acquire all outstanding shares of Praecis' common stock for a cash purchase price of US$5.00 per share or a total of approximately $54.8 million for the entire equity interest of Praecis. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2007.
Wednesday Jan 10, 2007
Osiris Receives US FDA Fast Track Status for Prochymalâ„¢ Stem Cell Therapy and Clearance to Start Phase III Clinical Trial in Treatment-Resistant Crohn's Disease
Osiris Therapeutics, a leader in adult stem cell therapy, announced that Prochymalâ„¢, a preparation of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors and specially formulated for intravenous infusion, has received fast-track designation from the US FDA, expediting the development of the stem cell treatment for Crohn's disease that does not respond to standard therapies.
Monday Jan 08, 2007
Ethanol Prevents Joint Destruction in Mouse RA Model
Arthritis-prone mice obliged to drink 10% ethanol for 5 weeks were largely protected from developing destructive joint disease...
Monday Jan 08, 2007
MedImmune In-Licenses from Japan Tobacco anti-ICOS Monoclonal Antibody for Inflammatory Diseases
MedImmune, Inc announced an exclusive license agreement with Japan Tobacco, Inc (JT), for a human monoclonal antibody inhibiting inducible costimulator (ICOS), a protein associated with T-cell activation that plays a key role in controlling adaptive immune responses.
Wednesday Dec 13, 2006
RA Remission Often Accompanied by Silent Synovitis
The majority of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who meet ACR remission criteria still have synovitis detectable on MRI or ultrasound...
Thursday Dec 07, 2006
Osteologix Initiates Phase II Clinical Trial of Strontium Malonate (NB S101) for Osteoporosis
Osteologix Inc, a developer of proprietary therapeutics for the treatment of bone disease and women's health, announced that it has initiated a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase II dose-response study in healthy postmenopausal women of its lead investigational drug, strontium malonate (NB S101) for osteoporosis.
Wednesday Dec 06, 2006
Serum MMP-3 May Be Biomarker of Joint Damage in AS, MRI Accuracy Questioned
Measuring serum levels of metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) may be an inexpensive yet accurate way for rheumatologists to predict which AS patients will develop joint damage, particularly in those with pre-existing radiographic damage...
Tuesday Dec 05, 2006
Nastech, P&G Amend Agreement for Development of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH1-34) Nasal Spray for Treatment of Osteoporosis
Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc (BOTHELL, Washington) announced the amendment of its previous agreement with Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Inc (P&G) for the clinical development program of the parathyroid hormone (PTH1-34) nasal spray for the treatment of osteoporosis. The amendment includes an additional phase II dose ranging study as well as a change in the timing of payments.
Monday Dec 04, 2006
Hollis-Eden's Steroid Hormone Preclinical Drug Candidate HE3286 Gains Positive Data in Model of RA
Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, Inc, developing a proprietary new class of small molecule compounds that are metabolites or synthetic analogs of adrenal steroid hormones, announced data on an experimental drug candidate, HE3286, an orally active, second-generation, synthetic steroid hormone currently in preclinical study for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders.
Thursday Nov 30, 2006
Low Risk of Jaw Osteonecrosis Seen With Bisphosphonates for Osteoporosis
Osteonecrosis of the jaw has emerged as an unanticipated problem associated with bisphosphonate treatment in cancer patients, but is seldom a significant risk at the doses used for osteoporosis...
Wednesday Nov 29, 2006
Millennium Begins Phase II Study of CCR1 Antagonist in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced the initiation of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase II study of MLN3897, an orally active, small-molecule antagonist of the chemokine receptor CCR1, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Tuesday Nov 21, 2006
Study Helps Explain Why Smoking Slows Ligament and Bone Healing
Smoking cigarettes delays cartilage formation in healing bone fractures and slows type I collagen production and recruitment of cells linked to healing of torn ligaments…
Thursday Nov 16, 2006
Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp Announces Exclusive Worldwide License Agreement for Mesd Reagents for Treatment of Osteoporosis
Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Raptor Pharmaceutical Inc, an early stage biotechnology research and development company which bioengineers novel drugs and drug-targeting platforms derived from the human receptor-associated protein (RAP) and related proteins, signed an exclusive worldwide license agreement for the use of Mesd reagents for therapeutic treatment of osteoporosis with Washington University, in St. Louis, Missouri.
Wednesday Nov 15, 2006
Once-Yearly Zoledronic Acid Injection Reduces Fracture Risk, Improves Bone Structure in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis
Once-yearly injections of zoledronic acid 5 mg reduces fracture risk, improves bone mineral density, and improves bone structure in women with osteoporosis... Black DM, Recker RR. Presented at ACR 2006 Meeting.
Tuesday Nov 14, 2006
Single Nucleotide Change in IL-4 Receptor Gene Predicts Rapidly Erosive RA
Presence of a specific polymorphism in the IL-4 receptor, combined with rheumatoid factor and one copy of the HLA-DR shared epitope, predicts with 90% accuracy that a specific RA patient will develop erosive disease within 2 years... Skapenko A, et al. Presented at: ACR 2006 Meeting.
Friday Nov 03, 2006
MTX Bests Sulfasalazine as DMARD of First Choice for Inflammatory Polyarthritis
Five-year data show that methotrexate and sulfasalazine have similar clinical effects as first DMARD in patients with inflammatory polyarthritis, but methotrexate is more effective at preventing radiological erosions...
Thursday Nov 02, 2006
Disappointing Results in Study of Stem Cells for Cartilage Repair
Hopes that adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) might be used to create chondrocytes for patching cartilage had a setback when researchers found that culturing them in the usual chondrogenic medium did not produce tissues capable of becoming stable articular cartilage in vivo...
Wednesday Oct 25, 2006
NSAIDs/DMARDs Can Thwart Antibiotic-Refractory Lyme Arthritis
Report highlights effective postantibiotic strategies for treating antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis and identifies risk factors for the rare but vexing condition... Steere AC, Angelis SM. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:3079-3086
Wednesday Oct 25, 2006
Fracture Risk Higher in RA Patients
RA patients are at an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures due to a combination of disease activity, low BMI, and oral glucocorticoid use... van Staa, TP, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:3104–3112.
Tuesday Oct 24, 2006
Xencor Gains $45 Million in Financing to Be Used in Part to Advance Into Phase I Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials, XProâ„¢ 1595, a Dominant-Negative Inhibitor of TNF-α
Xencor, a company developing protein and antibody therapeutics, announced that it raised $45 million in a private financing led by MedImmune Ventures, Inc, and including new investors Novo Nordisk and HealthCare Ventures, as well as existing investor Zen Investments.
Monday Oct 23, 2006
Etanercept/MTX Uncouple Inflammation and Joint Destruction in RA
RA patients treated with etanercept plus methotrexate have less radiographic progression of joint damage than patients who take either drug alone, even if they continue to have inflammation or other makers of active disease....
Monday Oct 23, 2006
Osiris Reports Positive Initial Results from Pilot Phase II Study of its Prochymalâ„¢ Stem Cell Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Crohn's Disease
Osiris Therapeutics, a leader in adult stem cell therapy, announced positive results from a pilot 10-patient phase II study using Prochymalâ„¢, an intravenous formulation of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow of healthy volunteer donors, for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD) who had failed to respond to standard treatments, such as steroids and infliximab (RemicadeR, Centocor, Inc).
Monday Oct 16, 2006
Potassium Citrate Supplements Increase Bone Mass
Potassium citrate supplements might help postmenopausal women with osteopenia increase their bone mineral density (BMD)... Jehle S, et al. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2006;17:3213–3222.
Thursday Oct 12, 2006
CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Tufts Initiate hFGF-1 R&D for Osteoporosis
CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Inc. announced that it has signed a sponsored research agreement with Tufts University School of Medicine to study the potential use of human acidic fibroblast growth factor-1 (hFGF-1), the active component of the Company's Cardio Vascu-Growâ„¢, to treat patients with osteoporosis...
Tuesday Oct 10, 2006
ASBMR Convenes International Task Force on Jaw Osteonecrosis, Issues Interim Guidelines for Osteoporosis Patients
Reacting to multiple reports of jaw osteonecrosis in patients treated with bisphosphonates, the ASBMR has convened an international task force to address this "emerging and urgent clinical problem" and has issued interim clinical recommendations... Shane E, et al. JBMR. 2006;21:1503-1505.
Tuesday Oct 03, 2006
FRISK Score Seen As Alternative to T- or Z-Score for Predicting Fracture Risk
The Fracture Risk (FRISK) Score was developed to predict fracture more accurately than bone mineral density alone, but questions have been raised about its clinical usefulness... Henry MJ, et al. Radiology. 2006:241:190-196.
Tuesday Sep 19, 2006
Ibuprofen After Hip Replacement Does More Harm Than Good
The common practice of taking ibuprofen after total hip replacement reduces ectopic bone formation but has no significant effect on pain or function and doubles the risk of serious bleeding complications. Frasen M, et al. BMJ. 2006; 2 Aug 2006 [Epub ahead of print]
Monday Sep 18, 2006
Novartis' Once-Yearly Reclast Investigational Infusion Osteoporosis Treatment Significantly Cuts Risk of Spine and Hip Fractures in Postmenopausal Women
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced that phase III data presented at the 28th Annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), September 15–19, 2006, in Philadelphia, Pa, demonstrated that its investigational, once-yearly bisphosphonate 15-minute infusion treatment, Reclast® (zoledronic acid) 5 mg, was highly effective at reducing the incidence of bone fracture in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis across the most common fracture sites—hip, spine, and nonspine (with the exception of face, fingers, and toes)—with sustained effect over 3 years.
Tuesday Sep 12, 2006
CNS Uses p38, TNFα to Upregulate Joint Inflammatory Responses
The p38 MAP kinase links the central nervous system and peripheral responses via a pathway that includes TNF-α. Blocking those communications within the spinal cord by intrathecal administration of either a p38 inhibitor or etanercept dramatically reduces swelling, synovial inflammation, and joint destruction in an animal model of RA....
Monday Sep 11, 2006
Small, Portable In-Office MRI Can Monitor Response to Therapy in RA
As RA treatments become more effective and expensive, monitoring response to therapy becomes more important. Two new studies suggest that small, portable MRI devices might help...
Thursday Sep 07, 2006
Rigel Starts Phase II Study of its Oral Kinase Inhibitor, R788, in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc, announced that it has initiated enrollment and dosing of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a phase II study evaluating the efficacy and safety of its lead product candidate, R788, an oral syk kinase inhibitor that blocks the activation of the mast cells, macrophages, and B-cells that promote swelling and an inflammatory response. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, ascending dose, dose ranging study will evaluate up to three doses of R788...
Thursday Aug 31, 2006
Alendronate Better Than Alfacalcidol for Preventing GC-Induced Bone Loss
A randomized, double-blind clinical trial finds that alendronate is significantly better than alfacalcidol at preventing glucocorticoid-induced bone loss and reducing fracture risk...
Thursday Aug 31, 2006
COX-2 Inhibitors Decrease Bone Density in Men, Improve It in Some Women
COX-2 inhibitors decrease bone density in men but increase it in postmenopausal women not taking estrogen, confirming the role of inflammation in postmenopausal bone loss... Richards JB, et al. Osteoporosis Int. 2006;17:1410-1419.
Wednesday Aug 30, 2006
Joint Distraction May Delay Need for Joint Replacement in Advanced Osteoarthritis
Temporarily stretching knees or ankles a bit to take the load off cartilage and subchondral bone promotes healing, reduces pain, improves function, and might help some osteoarthritis patients defer or even avoid total joint replacement...
Monday Aug 28, 2006
TNF-α Plays a Key Role in Hormone-Related Osteoporosis
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is the critical cytokine mediating osteoclast formation and osteoporosis in several types of hormone-related osteoporosis, and TNF inhibitors may have a role to play in osteoporosis prevention and treatment. Hase H, Ando T, Eldeiry L, et al. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA. 2006;103:12849-12854.
Tuesday Aug 22, 2006
Comarketers Procter & Gamble and sanofi-aventis Gain FDA Approval of Actonel for Broader Use in Men With Osteoporosis
Procter & Gamble and sanofi-aventis announced that the US FDA approved ActonelR (risedronate sodium tablets) 35 mg for treatment to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis.
Monday Aug 21, 2006
Osiris IPO Raises $38.5 Million to Advance Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapies
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. announced that underwriters sold 3.5 million shares of its common stock at a price of $11.00 per share, achieving the lower end of the targeted share price for its initial public offering and raising $38.5 million.
Wednesday Aug 16, 2006
Biogen Idec and University of Adelaide Find TWEAK Is a Novel Arthritogenic Mediator; Potential New Pathway in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis Disease Process
Biogen Idec announced studies published in the August 15, 2006, issue of the providing evidence that TWEAK (TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis), a TNF family member, is a novel arthritogenic mediator that contributes to joint tissue inflammation, angiogenesis, and destruction, and may inhibit endogenous repair.
Monday Aug 14, 2006
TissueGene Initiates Phase I Study of TissueGene-C in Patients With Degenerative Joint Disease of the Knee Prior to Total Knee Arthroplasty
TissueGene, Inc. announced the initiation of a phase I clinical trial of the company's cell-mediated therapy, TissueGene-C (TG-C).
Thursday Aug 10, 2006
Michigan Researchers to Study ACL Injuries, Bone Bruises, in Knee OA
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common in young athletes and often lead to later knee osteoarthritis (OA). A new prospective study will try to determine whether bone bruises add to that risk.
Wednesday Aug 09, 2006
TransPharma Medical Raises $18 Million to Advance Clinical Development of Transdermal hPTH (1-34) for Osteoporosis
TransPharma Medical Ltd, has raised $18 million in a Series C round of financing, led by Argonaut Private Equity and including an additional new investor, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, as well as TransPharma's current investors.
Tuesday Aug 08, 2006
Geron and University of Edinburgh to Collaborate in Conducting Preclinical Studies with Cell Types Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells for Musculoskeletal Applications
Geron Corporation and the University of Edinburgh announced that they have entered into a collaboration to conduct preclinical safety and efficacy studies with three cell types derived from human embryonic stem cells.
Tuesday Aug 01, 2006
Schering-Plough's REMICADE Receives EU Approval as Monotherapy for Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis; Abbott's HUMIRA Receives FDA Approval for Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Schering-Plough Corporation announced that the European Commission approved the use of REMICADE® (infliximab) as monotherapy in the treatment of active and progressive psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients who show intolerance to methotrexate (MTX) or for whom MTX is contraindicated.
Monday Jul 31, 2006
Steroids Cause Osteoporosis by Blocking Osteoclast Role in Bone Remodeling
The bone loss caused by glucocortocoid treatment is due to steroid-induced changes in osteoclasts, which then fail to create the conditions osteoblasts need to accomplish new bone formation....Kim H-J, et al. J Clin Invest. 2006 July 27 [Epub ahead of print].
Friday Jul 28, 2006
Strontium Ranelate Reduces Fracture Risk in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis
Strontium ranelate significantly reduces the risk of veretebral fractures, increases BMD at all sites and may prevent nonspine fracture in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, a Cochrane Review concludes. ... O'Donnell S, et al. Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews. 2006, Issue 3.
Thursday Jul 20, 2006
Bioengineered Cartilage Successfully Transplanted in Osteoarthritic Knees
Cells taken from areas of healthy cartilage can be grown on hyaluronic acid scaffolds and used to patch damaged knees, even joints that have already progressed to osteoarthritis....Hollander AP, et al. Tissue Engineering 2006;12:1-12.
Monday Jul 17, 2006
LTKfarma Starts Operations With Lead Product for Autoimmune Diseases and Leukemia Already in Phase I/II, Names Advisory Board
LTKfarma, a biopharmaceutical company founded in March 2006 and focused on developing and marketing cell therapy products derived from modified T-cells to treat autoimmune diseases and leukemia announced its creation and the appointment of its advisory board....
Tuesday Jun 27, 2006
Keep Prescribing MTX, Using X-rays for RA, EULAR Told
Pre-symptomatic diagnosis and better drugs should make RA remission for all a possibility within 10 years...Smolen, J. Presented at: EULAR 2006, 21-24 June 2006, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Tuesday Jun 27, 2006
Ultrasound Recommended for Long-Term Monitoring of RA Treatment Response
Ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) surpass conventional radiography for detecting clinical improvement and regression of synovitis in RA finger joints, and musculoskeletal US provides the most cost-effective routine monitoring of disease activity and treatment response. Scheel AK, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:595–600.
Tuesday Jun 27, 2006
Entremed's 2ME2 Demonstrates Antiangiogenic Activity in Rat Model of Chronic Autoimmune Inflammatory Joint Disease
EntreMed, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer, announced the presentation of preclinical data for its lead compound, 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2), in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)....
Monday Jun 26, 2006
Lupus Treatment Moving "From Serendipity to Sense"
Lupus research has had a very good year... Isenberg DA. EULAR 2006 Meeting; June 21-24, 2006; Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Abstract SP0139.
Saturday Jun 24, 2006
New Imaging Methods Show Ligament Damage Is the First Stage of Hand OA
New, high-resolution MRI and PET imaging are bringing the details of hand OA into focus, and show that changes in ligaments are the first signs of disease... Tan AL. 2006 EULAR Meeting; June 21–24, 2006; Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Abstract SP0060.
Saturday Jun 24, 2006
Experts to Issue Psoriatic Arthritis Remission Guidelines
PsA remission now in our sights, say IMPACT trial investigators at the EULAR 2006 meeting... Kavanaugh A, et al. EULAR 2006 Meeting; June 21–24, 2006; Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Abstract OP0104.
Friday Jun 23, 2006
Kyphoplasty Reduces Osteoporotic Fracture Pain, but Does It Predispose to More Fractures?
Pharmacologic treatments for osteoporosis leave up to 50% of patients suffering long-term pain from fractures—perhaps unnecessarily... Kasperk C. Presented at: EULAR 2006; June 21–24, 2006; Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Abstract SP0033.
Tuesday Jun 20, 2006
Nastech Receives $7 Million Milestone Payment From P&G; Will Make and Supply to P&G PTH1-34 Nasal Spray for Osteoporosis
Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc, of Bothell, Washington, announced the receipt of a $7 million payment for attaining a development milestone under its development and commercialization agreement with Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Inc, pertaining to parathyroid hormone (PTH1-34) nasal spray for the treatment of osteoporosis...
Tuesday Jun 20, 2006
Crescent Diagnostics Raises US$1 Million to Advance the Development of its Novel Bone Quality Testâ„¢ as a Surrogate Marker for Bone Structure
Crescent Diagnostics Ltd, of London, UK, and Limerick, Ireland, announced the completion of a US$1 million funding round led by Seroba BioVentures, a Dublin-based specialist life science venture capital firm...
Monday Jun 19, 2006
Ultrasound Recommended for Long-Term Monitoring of RA Treatment Response
Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging surpass conventional radiography for detecting clinical improvement and regression of synovitis in RA finger joints, and musculoskeletal ultrasound likely provides the most cost-effective routine monitoring of disease activity and treatment response... Scheel AK, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:595-600.
Thursday Jun 15, 2006
Intraarticular Steroids May Also Protect Bone
Intraarticular steroids modulate the nuclear factor B ligand/osteoprotegerin system toward a bone-protective effect in inflammatory arthritis... Makrygiannakis D, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54;1463-1472.
Thursday Jun 15, 2006
Alendronate More Cost-Effective Than Teriparatide
Teriparatide could become cost-effective if its price were reduced by 60 percent, if it were given only to women with exceptionally low bone density, or if a 6-month course of teriparatide were as effective in preventing fractures at 2 years of treatment... Liu H, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:1209-1217.
Monday Jun 12, 2006
Low-Carb Diets Do Not Cheat Bones
Researchers had suspected that low-carbohydrate diets would increase bone turnover, compromise bone quality, and lead to osteoporosis, but a new study suggests that such diets do no such thing... Carter JD, et al. Osteoporos Int. In press.
Monday Jun 05, 2006
PsA Enthesopathy As Cause of Plantar Fasciitis Responds to TNF Inhibitors
The TNF inhibitors infliximab and etanercept are both effective for the treatment of enthesopathy associated with psoriatic arthritis... Ritchlin CT. J Rheumatol. 15 May 2006; [Epub ahead of print]
Tuesday May 30, 2006
Give Bisphosphonates and Teriparatide Sequentially, Not Together
Alendronate reduces the ability of once-daily teriparatide to stimulate new bone formation in osteoporotic men; the two drugs therefore should not be given concurrently... Finkelstein JS, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 9 May 2006; [Epub ahead of print]
Thursday May 25, 2006
Meniscus Allografts Survive, Provide "Shock Absorber" in Severe Arthritis
Meniscus retread might help delay need for total knee replacement... Stone KR, et al. Arthroscopy. 2006;22:469-478.
Wednesday May 24, 2006
Bone-Sparing, Metal-on-Metal Hip Resurfacing System Benefits Young, Active Patients
A just-approved bone-sparing hip-resurfacing system will likely relieve pain and improve hip function among younger, active patients who have good bone quality, but caveats remain...
Monday May 22, 2006
Second Year of FACT Trial Confirms Alendronate Advantage Over Risedronate for Preventing Bone Loss
Twenty-four-month data show that alendronate surpasses risedronate in reducing the risk of bone loss in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis... Bonnick S, et al. Clin Endocrin Metab. 24 April 2006; [Epub ahead of print]
Wednesday May 17, 2006
Lupus Worsens Atherosclerosis, Changes Plaques
Preclinical work in atherosclerosis-prone mice shows that adding a lupus-susceptible immune system greatly accelerates and worsens atherogenesis, which might help explain the accelerated atherosclerosis seen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus... Stanic AK, et al. PNAS.
Monday May 15, 2006
Infliximab Cools Spinal Inflammation in AS
Six months of infliximab significantly reduced MRI-proven sites of spinal inflammation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis... Braun J, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:1646-1652.
Thursday May 11, 2006
Adding Zoledronic Acid Improves MTX Efficacy in Early RA
Zoledronic acid added to standard methotrexate treatment reduced the progression of MRI hand and wrist erosions by 61% in patients with early RA, apparently by inhibiting osteoclast activity... Jarrett AJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:1410-1414.
Tuesday May 09, 2006
Calcium Supplements Don't Reduce Fracture Risk Unless Patients Take Them
Supplementation with calcium carbonate tablets is ineffective at reducing fracture rates in the ambulatory elderly as a mass public health intervention due to poor long-term compliance, but the supplements are effective in patients who actually take them... Prince RL, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:869-875.
Monday May 01, 2006
Nastech's Intranasal Parathyroid Hormone (PTH1-34) Demonstrates Similar Pharmacokinetic Profile to Approved Injectable Product, ForteoR (Teriparatide)
Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc, of Bothell, Washington, reported pharmacokinetic data from a phase I study of parathyroid hormone (PTH1-34) nasal spray demonstrating a similar pharmacokinetic profile to the approved subcutaneous product, Forteo®...
Friday Apr 28, 2006
Brief Pulse of Ultraviolet-A Light Provides Site-Specific Gene Therapy for Damaged Articular Cartilage
A brief pulse of ultraviolet-A light may currently be the safest way to provide site-specific gene therapy for damaged articular cartilage... Maloney MD, et al. J Bone Joint Surg. 2006;88:753-761.
Thursday Apr 06, 2006
BMP-6 is a Potent Inducer of Chondrogenesis in Adipose-Derived Adult Stem Cells
Bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP-6) stimulates the differentiation of human adipose-derived adult stem (ADAS) cells into cartilage cells... Estes BT, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:1222-1232.
Monday Mar 27, 2006
Genmab Reports Positive Phase I/II Clinical Data for HuMax-CD20â„¢ in RA
Genmab A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, reported encouraging safety and efficacy data from its 24-week multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation phase I/II study of HuMax-CD20â„¢...
Monday Mar 27, 2006
EntreMed's 2ME2 Continues to Yield Positive Data in Preclinical Models of RA, Further Supporting the Potential for 2ME2 as a DMARD
EntreMed, Inc, of Rockville, Maryland, announced at the Inflammation and Immune Diseases Drug Discovery and Development Summit held this month in New Brunswick, New Jersey, that daily oral administration (100 mg/kg) of its lead compound, 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2)...
Thursday Mar 23, 2006
Biomarkers May Identify Early Implant Failure or Loosening
New research is helping to identify early biomarkers of prosthetic performance as well as genetic polymorphisms that predict risk of osteolysis... Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill.
Wednesday Mar 22, 2006
Inhibiting Osteopontin May Stave Off Wear Debris–Induced Osteolysis
Inhibiting the bone-specific protein osteopontin may prevent wear debris–induced osteolysis... Shimizu S, et al. Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 92.
Wednesday Mar 22, 2006
Infections Following Revision Arthroplasty Are Increasing
The rate of deep infections following revision hip and knee arthroplasty is increasing and will continue to rise unless action is taken... Kurtz S, et al. Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 235.
Tuesday Mar 21, 2006
Local Bisphosphonate Administration May Improve Implant Fixation
Local treatment with the bisphosphonate alendronate combined with bone compaction may improve implant fixation... Jakobsen T, et al. Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 89.
Monday Mar 20, 2006
Use of Muscle-Derived Stem Cells May Revolutionize Treatment of OA
Due to their regenerative capabilities, muscle-derived stem cells may one day revolutionize the treatment of osteoarthritis, potentially staving off the need for joint replacement surgery in millions... Huard J, et al. Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Workshop 1.
Monday Mar 20, 2006
Single Injection of GDF-5 May Repair Degenerated Discs
A single injection of recombinant human growth and differentiation factor (GDF-5) may induce recovery of intravertebral disc height... Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 14.
Thursday Mar 02, 2006
Denosumab Shows Promise in Phase II Study of Bone Mineral Density
Twice yearly injections of denosumab (previously known as AMG 162) significantly increased bone mineral density in the total hip, lumbar spine, distal 1/3 radius, and total body of postmenopausal women compared with placebo... McClung MR, et al. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:821-831.
Thursday Mar 02, 2006
Simple Formula Helps Doctors Determine When Height Loss Signifies Osteoporosis
Historical height loss can help predict the likelihood of vertebral fractures and the need for spine radiographs... Siminoski K, et al. Osteoporos Int. 2006;17:290-296.
Thursday Feb 23, 2006
Roche Initiates Clinical Study for Bone-Related Disease Using Emisphere's Oral Formulation Drug Delivery (Eligen®) Technology
Emisphere Technologies, Inc, of Tarrytown, New York, announced that it has received an undisclosed payment from Roche Pharmaceuticals...
Thursday Feb 23, 2006
EntreMed Receives New Patent for 2-Methoxyestradiol (2ME2, or Panzem®) Analogs for Inflammatory Diseases
EntreMed, Inc, of Rockville, Maryland, announced the issuance of US Patent No. 6,995,278, covering compositions and methods for treating mammalian diseases characterized by undesirable angiogenesis, by administering derivatives of 2-methoxyestradiol...
Friday Feb 17, 2006
Calcium With Vitamin D Does Not Decrease Risk of Hip Fracture in Postmenopausal Women
Calcium with vitamin D does not decrease risk of hip fracture and only shows a modest benefit in bone density... Jackson RD, et al. New Engl J Med. 2006;354:669-683.
Monday Feb 13, 2006
BioMimetic Therapeutics Files for IPO
BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc, of Franklin, Tennessee, announced that it has filed a registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission...
Monday Feb 06, 2006
Explicit Appropriateness Criteria Predicts Joint Replacement Success
Knee and hip arthroplasty patients who were considered appropriate candidates for joint replacement surgeries fared better than those who were considered inappropriate candidates, according to new research seeking to identify the best criteria for total knee and hip replacement... Quintana JM, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:220-226.
Thursday Jan 26, 2006
Risk of New Fractures Found to Increase After Vertebroplasty
A nonsurgical therapy used to heal vertebral compression fractures, vertebroplasty may increase the risk of new fractures in adjacent vertebrae... Trout AT, et al. Am J Neuroradiol. 2006;27:217-223.
Wednesday Jan 25, 2006
Targeted Genetics Restructures to Advance Anti-TNF-Alpha Agent tgAAC94 for Inflammatory Arthritis
Targeted Genetics Corporation, of Seattle, Washington, announced the restructuring of its operations...
Friday Jan 20, 2006
Patients with Chronic Skin Disease Who Require Long-Term Corticosteroids Not Receiving Bisphosphonates
Most patients who receive prolonged oral corticosteroids for chronic skin diseases such as pemphigus vulgaris and cutaneous lupus erythematosus are not receiving bisphosphonates... Liu RH, et al. Arch Dermatol. 2006;142:37-41.
Wednesday Jan 18, 2006
FDA to Require Additional Positive Pivotal Trial for Genelabs' Lupus Drug Prestaraâ„¢
Genelabs Technologies, Inc, of Redwood City, California, announced that the US Food and Drug Administration will require an additional pivotal trial...
Wednesday Jan 11, 2006
NicOx Initiates Phase III for HCT 3012, Naproxen Derivative for Osteoarthritis
NicOx SA, a French biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of nitric-oxide-donating drugs to treat inflammation, pain, and cardio-metabolic disease...
Wednesday Jan 11, 2006
Boniva® Injection Approved for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Roche and GlaxoSmithKline announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Boniva® (ibandronate sodium) Injection...
Tuesday Jan 10, 2006
Active Shape Modeling May Help Predict Osteoarthritis Fast Progressors
A new pilot study shows that active shape modeling (ASM) can quantify the changes that occur in the femoral head during the course of osteoarthritis (OA), findings that suggest the diagnostic technique may help identify OA patients who are at high risk for rapid progression and require surgical intervention... Gregory JS, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8-11, 2005: Boston, Massachusetts. Abstract P254.
Tuesday Jan 10, 2006
Federal Court Rules Lilly Breached Agreement with Emisphere Regarding Oral Formulation of Forteo® for Osteoporosis; Lilly turns to Alkermes for Development of Inhaled Version
Emisphere Technologies, Inc, of Tarrytown, NY, announced that a Federal District Court judge ruled that Eli Lilly and Company had violated an agreement with Emisphere regarding the use of Emisphere's Eligen technology for the development of an oral formulation of Forteo® ...
Thursday Jan 05, 2006
New Study Suggests Raloxifene May Benefit Women with Knee Osteoarthritis
A recent study of women with knee osteoarthritis (OA) found that treatment with raloxifene resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the excretion of key markers of cartilage degradation, pointing to the potential curative effect of this agent and long-term improved outcomes for patients with knee OA... Daniluk S, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8–11, 2005; Boston, Mass. Abstract P67.
Wednesday Jan 04, 2006
Oral Calcitonin May Delay Onset of Joint Disease and Relieve Pain of OA
Although calcitonin is an established antiresorptive agent, new research suggests that it also has a role in chondroprotection and may help relieve symptoms accompanying joint disease... Sondergaard BC, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8–11, 2005; Boston, Mass. Abstract P133.
Wednesday Jan 04, 2006
Osiris Raises $19 Million in Private Equity Funding for Adult Stem-Cell Trials
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc, of Baltimore, Maryland, announced that it has closed a $19 million private equity round of financing in support of ongoing clinical trial programs employing its adult mesenchymal stem-cell technology...
Tuesday Dec 20, 2005
Radius Acquires Ipsen's Parathyroid Hormone–Related Protein Analog for Osteoporosis
Radius (Cambridge, Mass) has acquired from Ipsen the exclusive worldwide rights (excluding Japan) to the drug BA058...
Monday Dec 19, 2005
Oral Contraceptives Safe in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Taken together, two new prospective studies demonstrate that oral contraceptives (OCs) are safe in women with systemic lupus erythematosus and may represent a paradigm shift in the thinking and clinical practice of rheumatologists who historically have been reluctant to prescribe OCs and other hormones for these patients…Petri M, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:2450-2461; Sánchez-Guerrero J, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:2539-2549.
Wednesday Dec 14, 2005
Emisphere's Oral Drug Delivery Technology (Eligen®) Successful With Oral Salmon Calcitonin for Osteoarthritis
Emisphere Technologies, Inc, of Tarrytown, New York, has announced that an independent pilot study of daily salmon calcitonin therapy...
Tuesday Dec 13, 2005
Osiris to Initiate Phase II Trial of Prochymalâ„¢ for Crohn's Disease
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc, of Baltimore, Maryland, has announced the start of enrollment for its phase II clinical trial of Prochymalâ„¢...
Monday Dec 05, 2005
Roche Receives 510(k) Clearance to Market Osteocalcin Test for Osteoporosis
Roche Diagnostics of Indianapolis, Indiana, announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration...
Friday Dec 02, 2005
New Study Indicates Fear of Addiction Among Other Surprising Reasons for Poor Adherence to Bisphosphonate Therapy
While lack of adherence to bisphosphonates is well-known, recent research has shed new light on possible causes, including difficulties in following prescribing instructions, frequency of dosing schedules, potential drug-drug interactions, and fear of addiction… Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 625.
Tuesday Nov 29, 2005
Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) More Effective Than Cyclophosphamide in Lupus Nephritis
Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), an immunosuppressive agent approved for the prevention of transplant rejection, may emerge as an effective alternative to IV cyclophosphamide, the current standard of care for lupus nephritis patients... Ginzler, EM, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:2219-2228.
Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
TNF-α Antagonist Adalimumab Shows Promise in AS
Encouraging results from the ATLAS trial suggest that adalimumab and other TNF-α inhibitors may be effective in reducing the signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.
Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
Osteoporosis Drug Risedronate May Have Disease-Modifying Effects in Osteoarthritis
High doses of risedronate (Actonel®) may protect against subchondral bone loss in knee osteoarthritis patients with progressive joint space narrowing... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.
Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
Amgen's Denosumab Effective in Increasing Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Patients
Amgen has announced that twice-yearly subcutaneous injections of 60 mg denosumab increased bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine by 7.4% and of the total hip by 5.1% compared with 6.2% and 3.4%, respectively, for alendronate (Fosamax®) 70 mg/week over a 24-month period.
Thursday Nov 10, 2005
Vitamin D Status More Important Than High Calcium Intake for Calcium Homeostatis
New research suggests that maintaining adequate serum vitamin D levels can ensure ideal parathyroid hormone (PTH) values without the need for calcium intake above 800 mg/day; findings that provide further evidence of the importance of vitamin D to optimal bone health…Steingrimsdottir L, et al. JAMA. 2005;294:2336-2341.
Friday Nov 04, 2005
Study Provides Additional Clues to the Causes of Systemic Sclerosis and the Potential Efficacy of Paclitaxel
New research in a murine model points to the ability of low-dose paclitaxel (Taxol®) to modulate transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) and lessen fibrosis in systemic sclerosis patients, findings that also provide additional clues to the pathogenesis of the disease... Liu X, et al. PloS Med. 2005;2:e354
Monday Oct 31, 2005
Regular Physical Activity May Strengthen Knee Cartilage
A novel magnetic resonance imaging technique used in a new study suggests that human articular cartilage can adapt to physical load, and that modest exercise improves knee cartilage glycosaminoglycan content in patients at risk for developing osteoarthritis … Roos EM, Dahlberg L. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:3507-3514.
Thursday Oct 20, 2005
Novel Hereditary Cartilage Debonding Syndrome Identified
Researchers have identified a new cartilage friability and osteochondral debonding syndrome that may provide insight into cartilage-bone interaction in other forms of joint degeneration ... Holderbaum D, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:3300-3304.
Wednesday Oct 12, 2005
Nastech Reports Positive Phase I Data for Intranasal PTH 1-34 for Osteoporosis
Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc, of Bothell, Washington, a leader in molecular biology-based drug delivery technologies, announced...
Friday Oct 07, 2005
Novel Population of T Cells Found to Produce IL-17; In Vivo Analysis Reveals Role of Cytokine in Inflammatory Disease
New research examining the production and function of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin 17 (IL-17) may pave the way for more effective ways to prevent and treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune and inflammatory conditions . . . Nat Immunol [serial online]. October 2, 2005.
Thursday Oct 06, 2005
New Study Results Suggest That Two Courses of Parathyroid Hormone May Reduce Fracture Risk in Patients with Severe Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis patients who remain at high risk for fracture despite a course of parathyroid hormone (PTH) therapy may benefit from a second discrete course of PTH . . . Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23–27, 2005; Nashville, Tenn. Presentation 1079.
Wednesday Oct 05, 2005
New Bone Biopsy Data Support Safety of Dual-Acting Strontium Ranelate for Osteoporosis
A potentially dual-acting new osteoporosis medication, strontium ranelate, may safely decrease bone resorption while increasing bone formation, rebalancing bone turnover toward formation . . . Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23–27, 2005; Nashville, Tenn. Abstract 1084.
Monday Oct 03, 2005
Osteologix's Low-Dose Strontium-Based Compound Shows Bioequivalence to Strontium Ranelate in Phase I Trial
Osteologix, Inc, headquartered in San Francisco, California, announced that its phase I clinical trial of NBS-101...
Monday Oct 03, 2005
Acologix's AC-100 Shows Positive Preclinical Activity for Bone and Dental Applications
Acologix, Inc, of Hayward, California, a privately held biopharmaceutical company targeting bone and kidney diseases, presented preclinical data...
Monday Oct 03, 2005
Cytori Therapeutics Reports Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Adult Stem Cells to Spinal Disc
Cytori Therapeutics, Inc, along with its collaborators, released data demonstrating that human adipose-derived adult stem cells have the potential to differentiate into cells with the phenotypic traits and DNA expression markers of mature nucleus pulposus cells...
Friday Sep 30, 2005
Childhood Fractures May Be a Risk Factor for Osteoporosis
A new study suggests that a history of fracture in childhood and adolescence may be a marker for genetically determined low peak bone mass and osteoporosis later in life... Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-27, 2005; Nashville, Tenn. Abstract 1136.
Thursday Sep 29, 2005
Study Suggests Statins May Lower Fracture Risk in Men
A study of almost 30,000 elderly men suggests that statins, in addition to their lipid-lowering benefit, may also reduce fracture risk...Scranton RE, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:2007-2012.
Thursday Sep 29, 2005
Long-Term Bisphosphonate Therapy Remains an Unresolved Issue
Despite concerns about long-term bisphosphonate therapy resulting in the continued suppression of bone turnover and inhibition of normal repair and replacement of damaged bone, recent clinical trials suggest that treatment for up to 10 years is not harmful ... Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-25, 2005; Nashville, Tenn.
Wednesday Sep 28, 2005
Roche and GSK Tout Efficacy, Safety, and Convenience of Once-Monthly BonivaR Osteoporosis Therapy at ASBMR Annual Meeting
Roche Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline presented 4 posters (2 studies) at the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research...
Wednesday Sep 28, 2005
The XtremeCT May Be More Sensitive than DEXA in Predicting Fracture Risks
A new high-resolution imaging device, the XtremeCT, which measures both bone density and bone architecture, may have significant advantages over the current gold standard, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)...Boutroy S, et al. Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-27, 2005; Nashville, Tenn. Abstract SA360.
Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Novel Method of Upfront Loading of Bisphosphonates Found to Improve Spinal Bone Mineral Density and Reduce Fractures
Upfront loading of oral or intravenous bisphosphonates followed by maintenance dosing may enhance the ability of these agents to reduce fracture risk compared with currently used dosing regimens... Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-27, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee. Abstract M369.
Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Mesoblast Limited to Start Human Orthopaedic Trial Using Adult Stem Cell Technology
Mesoblast Limited of Melbourne, Australia, a biotechnology company that develops adult mesenchymal precursor stem cell technology for the regeneration and repair of bone and cartilage, has announced...
Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Competitive Technologies Licenses Bone Biomaterial to Soteira for Spinal Applications
Competitive Technologies, Inc (CTT), a technology transfer and licensing provider, has granted Soteira, Inc, of Dedham, Massachusetts...
Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Researchers Report Promising Findings on Biomarkers for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis and OA
New research has uncovered biomarkers that serve as both diagnostic "fingerprints" for the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis and predictors for osteoarthritis (OA) progression... Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-27, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.
Monday Sep 26, 2005
Osiris's Allogeneic Bone Matrix–Containing Stem Cells to Be Distributed by Blackstone Medical
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc, of Baltimore, Maryland, a leader in adult stem-cell therapies that prevent and treat orthopaedic disorders, has signed an agreement...
Sunday Sep 25, 2005
Osteoporosis Fractures, Costs Projected to Rise by 50% in 20 Years
A new survey suggests that changing demographics will fuel a 50% increase in the incidence of osteoporotic fractures and associated healthcare costs over the next 20 years... Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-25, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.
Sunday Sep 25, 2005
Beta-Blockers May Preserve Bone Density and Reduce Fracture Risk
Preliminary results from a new study indicate that use of beta-blockers is associated with a reduction in osteoporotic fractures, higher bone mineral density, better femoral neck geometry, and beneficial effects on trabecular microarchitecture...Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-25, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.
Sunday Sep 25, 2005
C-Reactive Protein May Help Predict Fracture Risk
A new study provides evidence that circulating levels of C-reactive protein may independently predict fracture risk in postmenopausal women... Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-25, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.
Saturday Sep 24, 2005
Orthopaedic Surgeons, Neurologists Often Fail to Refer Patients for DEXA Exams
Even with the availability of training programs and educational literature, it is rare for many orthopaedic surgeons and neurologists, physicians who regularly see patients at high risk for fractures, to refer these patients for assessment of bone mineral density (BMD)... Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-25, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.
Wednesday Sep 21, 2005
Low-Dose Safer Than High-Dose Steroids in Rheumatoid Arthritis
A new literature review suggests that the toxicity associated with glucocorticoids is largely a result of higher doses, a finding that may serve to restore greater use of long-term, low-dose glucorticoid therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)... Da Silva JAP, et al. Ann Rheum Dis [serial online]. August 26, 2005.
Tuesday Sep 20, 2005
Link Between Genetic Factors and Osteoporotic Fractures in the Elderly
The predisposition for osteoporotic fractures is stronger than has been previously estimated, especially for early occurring fractures. A search for genes and gene-environmental interactions that affect early osteoporotic fracture risk is likely to be beneficial, but fracture-prevention should be focused on lifestyle habits...Michaëlsson K, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1825-1830.
Tuesday Sep 13, 2005
Two New Treatments Show Promise in Paget's Disease
Zoledronic acid and osteoprotegerin found to be promising new therapies for the management of Paget's disease... Reid IR, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:898-908; Cundy MD, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:918-923.
Friday Sep 09, 2005
Preliminary Data on Genelabs' Prestaraâ„¢ Show Positive Effects on BMD in SLE Patients Taking Glucocorticoids
Genelabs Technologies, Inc, of Redwood City, California, has announced positive results from a preliminary analysis
Monday Aug 29, 2005
Research Clarifies Mechanisms of Self-Tolerance by Natural Killer Cells
New murine research depicting how natural killer cells mature in a healthy immune system may yield clues as to what goes awry in autoimmune disorders. Kim S, et al. Nature. 2005;436:709-713
Monday Aug 29, 2005
Entremed's 2ME2 Generates More Positive Preclinical Data in Arthritis Models
EntreMed, Inc, of Rockville, Maryland, a clinical-stage company developing treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases...
Tuesday Aug 23, 2005
MRI Data Show Etanercept Reduces Spinal Lesions in AS, but Questions Remain
Etanercept therapy leads to the regression of spinal lesions in active ankylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis... Rudwaleit M, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64:1305-1310
Sunday Aug 21, 2005
Unigene's Calcitonin-Salmon Nasal Spray Approved for Osteoporosis in US
Unigene Laboratories, Inc, and Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc, announced FDA approval of their nasal calcitonin product...
Monday Aug 15, 2005
Actonel with Calcium Approved by US FDA for the Prevention and Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
The Alliance for Better Health, formed by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals and Aventis Pharmaceuticals (now a member of the Sanofi-Aventis Group), has announced...
Monday Aug 08, 2005
Velcura Receives $1.3 Million SBIR Grant for New Osteoporosis Drugs
Velcura Therapeutics®, Inc, a biotechnology company focused on developing drugs for bone diseases, received a $1.3 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute on Aging, of the National Institutes of Health, to use proteomics-based drug discovery in human osteoblasts to identify bone disease biomarkers and targets, and develop new drugs that stimulate bone formation.
Monday Aug 08, 2005
Vitamin D Supplements May Not Help African American Women's Bones
Supplementation with vitamin D3 has no effect on bone loss or bone turnover markers in calcium-replete, postmenopausal African American women ... Aloia JF, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1618-1623
Thursday Aug 04, 2005
Scientists Develop New Technique to Grow Bone In Vivo
In a development that one day may revolutionize spinal and knee-replacement surgery and the treatment of osteoporosis, researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, have demonstrated for the first time that healthy new bone can be grown in one part of the body to repair bony defects at another location... Stevens MM, et al. In vivo engineering of organs: The bone bioreactor. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2005; scheduled to appear online before print. Available at: http://www.pnas.org/.
Wednesday Aug 03, 2005
PREOSR parathyroid hormone NDA accepted for review by FDA
NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of Salt Lake City, Utah, announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review the company's new drug application (NDA) for PREOSR, a recombinant parathyroid hormone (PTH 1-84) for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
Tuesday Jul 26, 2005
Osteologix's Strontium Formulation in Phase 1 Development for Osteoporosis
Osteologix, Inc., announced that patient enrollment has been completed in its Phase I clinical trial of NBS-101, an improved formulation of strontium for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Thursday Jul 21, 2005
Nastech's Intranasal PTH1-34 Peptide in Phase I for Osteoporosis
Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc. of Bothell, Washington, announced the start of a second clinical study to determine the pharmacokinetics and safety of its investigational intranasal human parathyroid hormone (PTH1-34) drug for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Tuesday Jul 12, 2005
Structural Changes in Femoral Neck Increase Risk of Hip Fracture
Walking may not be enough to strengthen the hip; instead, it may be necessary to develop exercises that target the superolateral cortex of the femoral neck, which is often associated with fractures from sideways falls... Mayhew PM, et al. Lancet. 2005;366:129-135.
Friday Jul 08, 2005
Genelabs' PrestaraTM Gains Orphan Drug Exclusivity to Prevent SLE Bone Loss
Genelabs Technologies, Inc, reported that PrestaraTM, a synthetic form of the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), has been granted orphan drug exclusivity by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the
Monday Jun 27, 2005
Short-Term Use of High Dose Steroids Does Not Increase Fracture Risk
With at least a one-year moratorium on steroid use, short-term, >e;15 mg/day dose of oral glucocorticoids does not increase the risk for osteoporosis or fracture, according the results of a new study... Presented at: 2nd Joint Meeting of the ECTS and the IBMS; June 25-29, 2005; Geneva, Switzerland
Monday Jun 20, 2005
Low-Dose Steroids Prevent Bone Loss in RA
Despite its established potential to cause bone loss, the anti-inflammatory effects of prednisolone slow the loss of hand bone density in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis...Haugeberg G, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1293-1297.
Wednesday Jun 15, 2005
Apratastat, an Experimental Dual Acting Biologic Agent Shows Early Promise for RA
A novel, oral, small-molecule dual inhibitor of TNF-α-converting enzyme and matrix metalloproteinases has been shown in early trials to target two of the factors known to cause inflammation in RA... Fleischmann R, et al. Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.
Wednesday Jun 08, 2005
OsteoBiologics' PolyGraftR Receives Canadian Clearance for Bone Void Repair
OsteoBiologics, Inc, a San Antonio, Texas-based developer and manufacturer of bioabsorbable, tissue-engineered scaffolds for the repair and replacement of musculoskeletal tissues, announced that it has received a Medical Device License authorizing the marketing in Canada of its PolyGraftR products for bone void repair.
Tuesday Jun 07, 2005
CryoLife Pathogen Protectant for Cryopreserved Tissues
CryoLife, Inc, a biomaterials and biosurgical company based in Atlanta, Georgia, announced the first human implant of cryopreserved orthopaedic tissues utilizing the Clearant ProcessR, a gamma-irradiated radioprotectant designed to inactivate pathogens while maintaining tissue integrity.
Monday May 16, 2005
Higher Doses of Vitamin D May Reduce Risk of Fractures in the Elderly
In contrast to several recently published studies showing that regular supplements of calcium and vitamin D may not effectively prevent fractures, a newly published meta-analysis found that large doses of vitamin D-taken with or without calcium-reduce the risk of nonvertebral fractures in the elderly...Bischoff-Ferrari HA, et al. JAMA. 2005;293:2257-2264
Tuesday May 03, 2005
African-American Women Have Lower Risk of Fractures than Caucasians Across All Levels of Bone Mineral Density
New data suggests the need for race specific normative databases to define osteoporosis...Cauley JA, et al. JAMA 2005;293:2102-2108.
Monday May 02, 2005
Vitamin D and Calcium May Not Be Effective for Preventing Fractures
Taken together, two studies suggest an earlier role for antiresorptive drugs in fracture prevention...Grant AM, Anderson FH. Lancet. April 28, 2005; [Epub ahead of print].
Tuesday Apr 26, 2005
EMEA Approves New Spinal Fusion Indication for BMP-2
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Astellas Pharma Europe announced that dibotermin alfa/absorbable collagen sponge (rhBMP-2/ACS or InductOs®) received additional marketing authorization from the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) for the treatment of single level (L4-S1) anterior lumbar spine fusions as a substitute for autogenous bone graft in adults who have had at least 6 months of nonoperative treatment for degenerative disc disease.
Monday Apr 25, 2005
Novel Osteoinductive Molecule May Speed Fracture Healing and Enhance Spinal Fusion
A newly discovered osteoinductive protein promises greater specificity than bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs)...UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science [press release]. April 21, 2005.
Wednesday Apr 13, 2005
Genelabs' Prasterone (Prestara®) Fails to Increase Bone Mineral Density in Women with Lupus
Genelabs Technologies, Inc. reported recently that in a 9-month, Phase III trial, treatment with Prestara (prasterone), a synthetic form of the human hormone dehydroepiandrosterone, failed to achieve the primary endpoint of improving bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine in women with systemic lupus erythematosus receiving concomitant glucocorticoids.
Monday Apr 11, 2005
FDA Approves Alendronate Sodium/Cholecalciferol (Fosamax Plus DR) for Osteoporosis; the Only Bisphosphonate With a Weekly Dose of Vitamin D
Merck & Co, Inc, received marketing approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for its once-weekly tablet containing alendronate sodium (FosamaxR) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
Monday Apr 11, 2005
2-Methoxyestradiol Inhibits Inflammatory Cell Migration, Tissue, and Joint Damage in Animal Model of RA
The antiarthritic activity of 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2) in preclinical studies was the focus of two separate presentations at the XXXV International Congress of Physiological Sciences held during the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in San Diego, California.
Wednesday Mar 30, 2005
FDA Approves Monthly Ibandronate for Treatment and Prevention of Osteoporosis
The new formulation simplifies osteoporosis drug therapy and addresses problems of adherence among patients using bisphosphonates
Monday Mar 21, 2005
KaloBios Raises $20 million to Advance Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis
KaloBios Pharmaceuticals Inc, of Palo Alto, California, a privately held company devoted to the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies and proteins, announced that it has raised $20 million in its Series B round of financing.
Friday Mar 18, 2005
Servier Receives Award for Osteoporosis Drug Strontium Ranelate (ProtelosR)
Servier, the French pharmaceutical company, has received Frost & Sullivan's 2004 Osteoporosis Therapeutics Industry Innovation & Advancement of the Year Award for the development of Protelos (strontium ranelate), a dual-action osteoporosis drug that promotes bone formation by stimulating osteoblasts, and reduces bone resorption by decreasing the osteoclast population.
Friday Mar 18, 2005
Study Suggests Celiac Disease May Be More Prevalent Among Patients with Osteoporosis
New results confirm the value of treating osteoporotic patients with the disease and fuel the debate over the practicality of widespread screening... Stenson WF, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:393-399.
Monday Mar 14, 2005
Novel Estrogenic Agonist May Suppress Inflammation
Preclinical and Phase I data suggest that an estrogen receptor beta-agonist, ERB-041, may have potent anti-inflammatory properties without classic estrogenic effects...American College of Rheumatology 2005 Innovative Therapies in Autoimmune Disease Meeting, Washington, DC, March 4-6, 2005.
Sunday Mar 06, 2005
Oral Formulation of a Small Molecule Kinase Inhibitor in Phase I Study for Rheumatoid Arthritis
A Phase I clinical trial has been initiated to study the safety and pharmacokinetics of a novel candidate drug for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), R406, an orally administered small molecule syk kinase inhibitor that blocks both IgG and IgE activation of mast cells, macrophages, and B cells.
Wednesday Mar 02, 2005
B-vitamins Help Prevent Hip Fracture In Stroke Patients
Folate and vitamin B12 lower the risk of hip fracture in elderly patients following stroke, possibly due to a reduction in plasma homocysteine levels...Sato Y, et al. JAMA. 2005;293:1082-1088
Friday Feb 25, 2005
The Future of Spinal Surgery: Artificial Discs and Bone Growth Factors Show Promise
PCM cervical discs, Charité lumbar discs, and BMPs demonstrate improved outcomes and greater patient satisfaction as alternatives to traditional spinal fusion surgery...72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons; February 23, 2005.
Friday Feb 18, 2005
Public Outcry Over Embattled Pain Relievers at FDA Advisory Panel Hearing
Some called for the withdrawal of all coxibs, while others pleaded for a return of the withdrawn rofecoxib (Vioxx) during public testimony at the FDA advisory meeting... US FDA Joint Meeting of the Arthritis Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; February 17, 2005.
Thursday Jan 20, 2005
New Bone Imaging Technology May Give DEXA a Run for Its Money on Earth -- and in Space
New ultrasound bone imaging device, which measures bone strength and rate of bone loss as well as bone density, could become the standard for osteoporosis assessment... National Space Biomedical Research Institute, Houston, Texas.
Wednesday Dec 15, 2004
Novel Class of Bone Resorption Inhibitors Is Identified
Newly identified biphenyl derivatives, which are shown to inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro and prevent ovariectomy-induced bone loss in vivo, may have potential therapeutic advantages over bisphosphonates in the treatment of diseases such as osteoporosis, Paget's disease, and cancer-associated bone disorders....van Hof RJ, et al. J Bone Miner Res. 2004;19:1651-1660.
Wednesday Nov 24, 2004
Gender Bias May Exist in the Recognition and Treatment of Osteoporosis in Men
Although men have higher vertebral fracture rates than women, they may not get screening and treatment for osteoporosis as often or as early... Sawka AM, et al. J Rheumatol. 2004;31:1993-1995.
Tuesday Nov 16, 2004
Long-Term, High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise May Benefit the Joints of the Feet
Contrary to the perception that an intensive, weight-bearing exercise regimen increases the rate of radiological joint damage of the hands and feet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a Dutch study suggests that a long-term, high-intensity program that results in improvement in aerobic fitness and involves 'impact-generating' activities may in fact have a protective effect on the joints of the feet. DeJong Z, et al. Ann Rheum Dis . 2004;63:1399-1405.
Monday Nov 15, 2004
EPIC Study: Alendronate's Benefits for Osteoporosis Prevention Continue Up to 6 Years
Therapy with the bisphosphonate is effective long-term in preserving bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, and should serve as a promising strategy for the prevention of osteoporosis in the post-HRT era& McClung MR, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004;89:4879-4885.
Thursday Oct 21, 2004
Treating Early and in Combination May Lessen Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis
An emerging body of clinical evidence supports the concept that combination therapy with an antitumor necrosis factor-α agent and methotrexate brings symptomatic relief and reduces radiographic progression... Breedveld FC, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 20, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.
Tuesday Oct 19, 2004
Varus-Valgus Laxity Varies by Gender, Ethnicity in Its Association with Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)
The findings from this large epidemiologic study suggest that the causes in knee OA may differ between women and men, as well as between whites and African Americans... Sharma L, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 18, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.
Monday Oct 18, 2004
MRI Has Modest Predictive Value in Detecting Response to TNF Therapy in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Treatment responders had a higher activity index on MRI than did nonresponders, but the difference was less marked than investigators expected... Rudwaleit M, Listing J, Brandt J, Braun J October 18, 2004, Sieper J. Prediction of a major clinical response (BASDAI 50) to TNF-alpha blockers in ankylosing spondylitis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2004; 63:665-670.
Wednesday Oct 13, 2004
Significant Advantages Favor Alendronate for Bone Protection
A new trial comparing 2 bisphosphonate formulations finds greater benefits with alendronate vs risedronate and no significant differences between the 2 in reported adverse events, including those associated with upper GI tolerability …Rosen C, et al. J Bone Miner Metab. 2004;19(suppl 1):S94. Abstract F412.
Tuesday Oct 12, 2004
Long-Term Bisphosphonate Therapy Results in Continued Benefits and May Offer Potential for Drug Holiday
Risedronate therapy continued over a 7-year treatment interval might be beneficial and, for some patients, 1 year off therapy may be a reasonable option... Sorensen OH, Crawford GM, Mulder H, et al. Bone . 2003;32:120-126.
Tuesday Oct 12, 2004
Few Patients Undergo Screening or Receive Treatment for Glucocorticoid-induced Osteoporosis
Despite evidence of rapid bone loss associated with chronic oral steroid use, fewer than 25% of men and 50% of women undergo screening or receive treatment for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis... Curtis JR, et al. J Bone Miner Res. 2004;19(suppl 1):S30. Abstract 1114.
Monday Oct 11, 2004
Vitamin D Deficiency May Diminish Effectiveness of Osteoporosis Therapy
Recently released clinical trials data underscore the impact of vitamin D deficiency in at-risk populations, and the importance of the vitamin in strengthening the effects of osteoporosis therapy... Holick MF, et al. J Bone Miner Metab. 2004;19 (suppl 1):S342. Abstract SU583.
Thursday Oct 07, 2004
Emerging Role of Bone Turnover Markers in Clinical Management of Osteoporotic Patients
According to a leading authority at the annual meeting of The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, markers of bone turnover can be a potentially valuable component of the overall management strategy for osteoporosis... (Johnell O, et al. Osteoporos Int. 2002;13:523-526; Eastell R, et al. J Bone Miner Res. 2003;18:1051-1056.)
Tuesday Oct 05, 2004
New Focus on Osteoporosis Risk in Men
Until recently, osteoporosis, a known health risk in postmenopausal women, has attracted scant attention as a health risk for men. Although men and women alike benefit from treatment for osteoporosis, men receive treatment far less frequently, even after fractures.
Thursday Sep 30, 2004
Pulsed IV Methylprednisolone Produces Significant Bone Loss, Short-Term Study Shows
Conventional wisdom holds that pulsed IV corticosteroids reduce the risk of bone loss. New findings show that even this treatment schedule is associated with significant reductions in bone mineral density...Haugeberg G et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2004;63:940-944.
Wednesday Jul 14, 2004
Use of Anti-epileptic Drugs Associated with Increased Bone Loss in Older Women
A recent study of over 9000 women suggests that those taking anti-epileptic drugs may have an increased risk of osteoporosis.
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