Related Articles Results

Thursday Mar 18, 2010
Metal Staples Carry Higher Risk of Infection than Traditional Stitches
Using metal staples to close wounds after joint surgery carries a higher risk of infection than traditional nylon sutures...

Thursday Mar 18, 2010
Knee Replacements May Improve Balance
Joint replacement may improve an elderly patient's balance and prevent falls...

Thursday Mar 11, 2010
AstraZeneca in a Deal with Torrent Pharmaceuticals to Market Generics
The UK drugmaker will market 18 of Torrent's drugs in 9 emerging economies, marking AstraZeneca's first generic-drug partnership...

Tuesday Feb 09, 2010
Minimally Invasive Hip Replacements Growing in Popularity
Orthopedic surgeons have developed techniques to make hip replacement operations less invasive, cutting down the length of time patients spend in the hospital and speeding up total recovery time...

Tuesday Nov 17, 2009
Inflammation in RA Linked to Arterial Stiffness
RA patients with high inflammatory burden are more likely to have arterial stiffness, even without other known cardiovascular risk factors...

Monday Oct 19, 2009
Experts Call for Early Intervention with Hip Scopes
As presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Hip Arthroscopy, earlier intervention is better when it comes to joint-sparing hip operations...

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...

Friday Oct 02, 2009
NicOx Files Naproxcinod NDA, the first CINOD for OA
NicOx has filed an NDA for naproxcinod, the first in the new class of cyclooxygenase-inhibiting nitric oxid donators (CINODs) for OA treatment...

Tuesday Sep 22, 2009
RA Gets Worse if Spouse is Depressed
Spousal depression can affect the health and functioning of a rheumatoid arthritis patient...

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...

Wednesday Aug 26, 2009
Virtual Reality: Fibromyalgia Affects Spatial Navigation
Virtual reality (VR) testing confirms what many fibromyalgia patients suspect: spatial learning deficits related to hippocampal dysfunction...

Wednesday Aug 12, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance After Hip Replacement? You Can!
Orthopaedic surgeons are realizing that patients are never too young or too old to undergo total hip arthroplasty...

Tuesday Jul 28, 2009
Surprise: OA Not linked to Menopause
OA incidence rises with age in women, but not because of changes in female hormone levels...

Friday Jul 24, 2009
Most OA Responses to Coxibs Show In First 2 Weeks
If OA patients do not respond to NSAID treatment by 2 weeks, it might be time to try a different drug...

Monday Jul 13, 2009
I-A Clodronate, HA Try to Beat Placebo for Knee OA
Intra-articular clodronate is as good as hyaluronic acid for knee OA, but placebo might be as good as either...

Wednesday Jul 08, 2009
Seniors Reap Durable Gains from Knee Replacement
Four-year follow-up data show that patients 65 and older derive important, lasting benefits from total knee arthroplasty...

Thursday Jun 18, 2009
Biogen Gets Joint Control of Genentech Post-Rituxan Development
Genentech must stop three drug development projects but can continue lupus and RA ocrelizumab studies....

Thursday Jun 11, 2009
RA Bone Changes May Offer New Treatment Target
Osteoporosis and erosions appear loosely linked in some RA patients...

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...

Friday May 22, 2009
Johnson & Johnson Wants Remicade Back
J&J is going to court to end its Remicade partnership with Schering-Plough due to a merger with Merck...

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...

Thursday May 14, 2009
FDA OKs UCB's Cimzia for Moderate to Severe RA
Cimzia^® (certolizumab pegol), the only pegylated anti-TNF, has been approved for use in the US...

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...

Friday Apr 24, 2009
Knee Laxity Tied to Menstrual Cycle
Female athletes are 2 to 8 times more likely to injure their ACL ligaments than men, and 3 new studies say that knee joint laxity related to the menstrual cycle is to blame...

Monday Mar 30, 2009
Hyaluronic Acid Not Useful in Hip OA
A single injection of hyaluronic acid was no better than placebo for hip OA...

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
Actemra Blamed for 15 Deaths in Japan
Actemra (tocilizumab, Roche/Chugai) may have caused 15 deaths in RA patients treated in Japan over the past 10 months...

Tuesday Mar 10, 2009
Each 500 mg of Vitamin C Cuts Gout Risk by 17%
Gout risk drops significantly in men who have high dietary levels of vitamin C, and even more in those who take vitamin C supplements...

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
Obesity “A Musculoskeletal Nightmare” for Joint Replacement
Obesity increases complication rates, and the super-obese should lose weight before having hip or knee replacement...

Tuesday Feb 24, 2009
New Program Prevents ACL Tears In High School Girls' Sports
A pilot program to prevent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears among female high school athletes has been so successful that it will be expanded to over 11,000 high school athletes...

Thursday Feb 12, 2009
Strength Training Bests Conventional Rehab After Knee Replacement
A progressive quadriceps strengthening program may help total knee arthroplasty patients approach the functional level seen among healthy peers...

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...

Tuesday Jan 27, 2009
Bone Up on Depression, Osteoporosis Links
Depression and osteoporosis appear linked, perhaps by neuroendocrine dysfunction...

Monday Jan 26, 2009
4 Factors in Lupus Noncompliance
Lupus patients cite specific reasons for taking (or not taking) their meds. Changes in physician-patient communications might fix some of these problems...

Wednesday Jan 21, 2009
FDA Grounds Pfizer's Fablyn Osteoporosis Drug
Pfizer's Fablyn (lasofoxifene) is still on hold as FDA seeks more safety data...

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...

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…

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…

Monday Nov 10, 2008
RA Patients Know Less About Treatment Than Doctors Assume
Rheumatoid arthritis  (RA) patients may not be as well-versed on drug treatments as their health care providers think that they are…

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...

Friday Oct 31, 2008
Overnight Femoral Nerve Block As Good As 4-Day Block for Knee Replacement Pain
An overnight femoral nerve block improves function as well as a 4-day continuous femoral nerve block following total knee arthroplasty, although the continuous femoral nerve block may offer other advantages…

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...

Monday Oct 27, 2008
JAMA Biologicals Safety Data Show Impact of What Supreme Court Will Decide in Wyeth v Levine
Nearly one-quarter of biological drugs wind up with additional health warnings within a few years of reaching the market. Experts say this illustrates the importance of a coming US Supreme Court decision on whether FDA approval shields companies from liability for harm caused by approved agents and devices...

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…

Thursday Oct 23, 2008
New Use of Pregabalin: Preventing Chronic Pain After Knee Replacement
Perioperative pregabalin (Lyrica^®) may stave off chronic pain and permit earlier mobility for patients who have total knee replacement…

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...

Wednesday Oct 15, 2008
Regular NSAID Use Also May Stave Off Breast Cancer
Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may reduce the risk of breast cancer…

Monday Oct 13, 2008
Unclear How Much Pounding New Hips, Knees Can Take
1 in 75 knee or hip replacement patients must have their artificial joint replaced within 3 years of their first surgery...

Thursday Oct 09, 2008
Rheumatologists Usually on Target With Intra-Articular Injections, Even Without Ultrasound
New research shows that blind intra-articular injections (IAIs) in rheumatoid arthritis patients, done without ultrasound guidance, are accurate when performed by a trained rheumatologist. Blind injections into the ankle are the most unreliable, at 77% accuracy...

Friday Oct 03, 2008
Occupational Therapy May Help OA Patients Get Moving
Occupational therapy may help get patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) lead more active lives…

Friday Oct 03, 2008
Distress, Chronic Pain Problems More Common in Mothers of Adolescents With Fibromyalgia
Families of adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia syndrome have increased prevalence of distress and chronic pain, and are likely to have poorer family functioning and more conflicted family relationships...

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
Microparticles May Be Big Players in Systemic Scleroderma Disease Activity
Microparticles—small, membrane, coated vesicles—found in the blood of systemic scleroderma patients might not be inert debris…

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...

Wednesday Sep 24, 2008
Alpharma Announces Positive Results From Pivotal Phase III Efficacy Trial of ALO-01 (Embeda™) Capsules for Pain Relief in Patients With OA
If approved by the US FDA, ALO-01 would be the first opioid medicine to provide a pharmacologic abuse-deterrent feature while effectively treating patients with chronic pain...

Thursday Sep 18, 2008
Consumer Ads for Medical Devices Subject of Senate Panel
A Senate committee is holding a hearing on consumer-directed promotions of medical devices such as artificial knees and heart stents after reports have claimed such promotions can mislead patients and influence them to have unnecessary surgeries…

Wednesday Sep 17, 2008
NSAIDs May Block Prostate Cancer Detection
Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs might reduce serum levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and interfere with prostate cancer detection...

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…

Wednesday Sep 10, 2008
Joint Revision Study Suggests Using Hip Resurfacing Only in Men, Unicondylar Knee Replacement Only in Elderly Arthritis Patients
Only 1 in 75 patients with primary hip or knee replacement require revision surgery after 3 years, but limiting certain procedures to males or elderly patients might reduce this rate even more…

Tuesday Sep 09, 2008
Can-Fite Reports that Seikagaku Corp, Exclusive Licensee of CF101 in Japan, is to Initiate Phase I Trial in Japan to Treat RA; Can-Fite to Receive $1 Million USD
CF101, Can-Fite’s lead compound, is an oral drug that has been successfully used in animal models and human phase IIa RA trials to test the concept of targeting A(3)AR for the treatment of inflammatory diseases...

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...

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 19, 2008
Cheerleading More Dangerous Than High-Flying Olympic Gymnastics
Cheerleading routines resemble competitive gymnastics ever more closely but are more dangerous, accounting for two thirds of severe sports injuries to female high school and college students, and consuming 25% of the money that the NCAA insurance program spends on student athletes...

Wednesday Aug 13, 2008
OA Increase Among Women Seems Due to Obesity As Well As Aging
OA is becoming more prevalent as the population of elderly increases, but Canadian researchers report that age alone does not account for the increased incidence of OA among women...

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…

Thursday Aug 07, 2008
Heart Risks Rise With Revision or Bilateral Joint Arthroplasty
Patients who undergo revision or bilateral joint arthroplasty are at significantly higher increased risk for heart attack or heart failure than patients who undergo their first replacement of a single knee or hip…

Tuesday Jul 29, 2008
Complaints Undermine Hip Device
Sales of the Durom cup, an artificial hip socket, have been suspended following complaints by doctors of a high failure rate…

Friday Jul 18, 2008
Even Really Old Joints Benefit From Replacement in Osteoarthritis
Patients ≥75 do as well as those 65 to 74 after joint replacement for severe hip or knee OA...

Friday Jul 11, 2008
FDA Warns of Tendonitis, Tendon Rupture Risk With Certain Antibiotics
Fluoroquinolones get black box warning due to increase risk of tendonitis and tendon rupture…

Thursday Jul 10, 2008
A List of Drugs That Increase Falling Risk
Many common prescription seizure medications, painkillers, and antidepressants may elevate the risk of falling among older patients...

Tuesday Jul 08, 2008
Return to Sport After Hip Resurfacing or Total Hip Arthroplasty
Patients are able to engage in more intense sports activities after undergoing hip resurfacing than after total hip arthroplasty…

Monday Jul 07, 2008
Three Studies Support Rivaroxaban Over Heparin-Based Treatment to Prevent VTE After Joint Replacement
Three studies show that selective factor Xa inhibition with rivaroxaban trumps heparin-based thromboprophylaxis for reducing venous thromboembolism after total hip and total knee arthroplasty…

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)…

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 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…

Monday Jun 23, 2008
Hip Fracture Hospitalizations Drop in US Despite Aging Population
New research conducted by a 17-year-old high school student suggests that the US is having a significant impact on the osteoporosis epidemic...

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
FDA Launches Major Investigation of Cancer Risk in Children Taking TNF Blockers
The FDA is investigating a possible link between TNF blockers and cancer in children and young adults...

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)…

Wednesday Jun 04, 2008
Case Series Adds Support for Routine PET in Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Routine PET might be a useful option in patients with steroid-resistant polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)...

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...

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
Obese Patients at Greater Infection Risk After Hip Replacement
Patients with a BMI of 35 or higher are over 10 times more likely to suffer complications following revision hip replacement surgery...

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...

Friday May 16, 2008
Centocor Alerts Authorized Distributors and Prescribing Physicians About Stolen Infliximab (Remicade^®)
A transport trailer carrying infliximab (Remicade^®) was stolen en route to a specialty distributor on May 6, 2008...

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…

Wednesday May 07, 2008
Patient Reported Outcomes and Analgesia Use in Osteoarthritis of the Knee
Research suggests that pain is not the primary determinant for use of non-opioid analgesics by osteoarthritis patients…

Tuesday May 06, 2008
Younger People Getting Joint Replacements to Restore Active Lifestyles
A better understanding of joint mechanisms and new technologies allow younger adults to relieve pain with joint replacements…

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 Apr 24, 2008
S. pyogenes-Linked New-Onset Childhood Arthritis Differs in Severity, Duration, from Other Types
Up to 35% of children with new-onset arthritis test positive for S. pyogenes and have a different disease course than children with other forms of inflammatory arthritis; they do not need routine cardiology follow-up, according to a population-based study...

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...

Thursday Apr 17, 2008
Skyrocketing Rates of Hip and Knee Replacements May Tax Healthcare System
The US healthcare system should brace itself for an exponential increase in the number of primary and revision joint arthroplasties and their associated costs…

Tuesday Apr 15, 2008
JAMA Blasts Vioxx Ghostwriters, Guest Authors, and Mortality Reporting
Documents obtained during Vioxx lawsuits against Merck provide a “case-study review of industry documents” showing that most clinical trial manuscripts and review articles were written by sponsor employees with noncompany authors brought in later to disguise the work, to misleadingly report mortality data to the FDA, and to keep data from some IRBs, JAMA authors charged...

Friday Apr 11, 2008
FDA Warns of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy With CellCept
FDA informed healthcare professionals that it is investigating a potential association between the use of mycophenolate mofetil and development of PML...

Thursday Apr 10, 2008
The Days of Using Potent Anticoagulants to Prevent Pulmonary Embolism After Joint Arthroplasty May Be Numbered
Experts say that the routine use of potent anticoagulants to stave off pulmonary embolism after joint arthroplasty should be stopped because these blood thinners may actually increase mortality…

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...

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)...

Friday Apr 04, 2008
Seven New Psoriasis Risk Genes Identified
A genome-wide study has identified 7 new genes that appear to increase a person's risk for psoriasis…

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...

Friday Mar 28, 2008
Regeneron’s Arcalyst™ (rilonacept), First and Only FDA-Approved Treatment for Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS); Now Available in the US
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced that Arcalyst™ (rilonacept) injection for subcutaneous use is now available by prescription in the US for the treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS)...

Thursday Mar 27, 2008
Pfizer Fails to Gain Access to JAMA, Arch Int Med Peer Review Documents, NEJM Still Pending
A US federal judge in Illinois has quashed Pfizer’s attempt to access confidential peer review documents from JAMA and Archives of Internal Medicine related to studies of Bextra^® and Celebrex^®...

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…

Friday Mar 14, 2008
Gender Bias Seen in Total Knee Arthroplasty
Doctors are more likely to recommend total knee arthroplasty to male patients than to female patients...

Wednesday Mar 12, 2008
Radial Shock Wave Therapy Relieves Heel Pain, but Cartilage Safety From Procedure is Questioned at AAOS
Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) looks promising for relieving chronic heel pain, but animal studies have raised questions about the cartilage safety from the procedure...

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...

Friday Mar 07, 2008
ACL Tears Should Be Repaired Within 12 Weeks of Injury
ACL reconstruction should be done within 12 weeks of injury to avoid irreparable meniscus damage...

Friday Mar 07, 2008
Sports Doctors Urge for More Injury Prevention in Women Athletes
Sex matters in sports injuries, and more attention to special problems of women athletes is needed...

Wednesday Mar 05, 2008
AAOS Researchers Provide New Look at Steroid-Induced Osteonecrosis
Steroid-induced osteonecrosis tends to resolve in SLE patients when the underlying disease is under control but tends to advance after SLE recurs. In patients with steroid-induced hip osteonecrosis, shoulder damage is likely to result in joint collapse within 15 years if not treated...

Friday Feb 29, 2008
Ipsen's Adenuric^® (febuxostat) for Chronic Hyperuricemia in Gout Receives Positive Opinion From CHMP; First Treatment Alternative in >40 Years if Approved by European Commission
Ipsen announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) adopted a positive opinion for Adenuric^® (febuxostat) to treat chronic hyperuricemia for conditions in which urate deposition has already occurred...

Monday Feb 25, 2008
Arthritis Patients Who Mix Prescription Drugs, OTC NSAIDs Report Lower Quality of Life
Mixing over-the-counter and prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be putting some arthritis patients at risk, or may be a sign that current treatment is inadequate...

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
Glucosamine Misses GOAL in Hip OA Study
The first major trial of glucosamine sulfate in early hip OA found that it was no better than placebo at reducing pain, improving function, or slowing progression...

Tuesday Feb 19, 2008
RA Doubles Risk for Depression, but Rheumatologists Seldom Notice
Depression should appear on the rheumatologist's radar screen when treating patients with RA...

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...

Tuesday Feb 05, 2008
Inverse Relationship Between Vertebral Fractures and Spine Osteoarthritis in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis
Disc space narrowing decreases the incidence of vertebral fracture in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis...

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...

Monday Feb 04, 2008
Amgen, Wyeth Report Enbrel® (etanercept) Significantly Reduced Levels of CRP, a Marker of Inflammation, in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis
Amgen Inc and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals announced findings from a retrospective analysis demonstrating that Enbrel® (etanercept), a fully human soluble TNF receptor, reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis...

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...

Tuesday Jan 29, 2008
Adding Vitamin D Reduces Risk of Falls in High-Risk Elderly Women
Community-dwelling elderly women with a history of falling and vitamin D deficiency have a 19% reduction in falls when supplementary vitamin D is added to calcium, even if they live in sunny areas...

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...

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...

Thursday Jan 24, 2008
Bacterial Gastroenteritis Leads to Joint Pain That Seldom Needs Prescription Treatment
Patients who experience gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms after a bacterial outbreak are more likely to report a diagnosis of arthritis in the ensuing 4 years, but they are not likely to report needing prescription drugs for their joint pain...

Thursday Jan 24, 2008
TNFα Inhibitors Can Be Used Again After Treatment of TB Flare
TNFα inhibitors can be safely readministered after either a flare of latent TB or a new TB infection and should be considered an option in patients with otherwise uncontrollable RA...

Tuesday Jan 22, 2008
Dermal Mucin in Alopecia Areata - Tell Tale Sign or Incidental Finding?
Dermal deposition of mucin may serve as a clue for diagnosing lupus in alopecia patients… 

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...

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...

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...

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...

Wednesday Dec 12, 2007
 New Hips Keep on Keeping On
The benefits of total hip arthroplasty on physical function are substantial and long-lasting especially in osteoarthritis (OA) patients with more pronounced X-ray damage...

Tuesday Dec 11, 2007
Pain Therapeutics', King's Remoxyâ„¢ Meets Primary Endpoint in Pivotal Phase III Study in OA Patients with Chronic Pain; NDA Filing Expected in Mid-2008
Pain Therapeutics, Inc and King Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced that a pivotal phase III study of Remoxyâ„¢, an abuse-deterrent version of long-acting oxycodone, in osteoarthritis patients with chronic pain met the primary endpoint that was prospectively defined by the US FDA during the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process...

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
New Method Provides Quick Estimate of 5-Year Hip Fracture Risk
A new algorithm based on 11 clinical factors can predict 5-year risk for hip fracture in postmenopausal women...

Thursday Nov 29, 2007
Osteoporosis Also Contributes to High-Trauma Fractures
Physicians should evaluate older patients with high-trauma nonspine fractures for osteoporosis...

Wednesday Nov 28, 2007
Update on Joint Replacement
Total joint replacement has reduced pain and disability in elderly patients with arthritis. The procedure is cost-effective even for high-risk patients, but it is associated with higher risk for cardiac complications if both joints are replaced during the same procedure, and it might be chosen by more African-American patients if finances were less of an issue...

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...

Monday Nov 26, 2007
Abatacept Wins Plaudits in Refractory JIA
The costimulation blocker abatacept may be a safe and effective option for juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients who have exhausted all other therapies...

Thursday Nov 15, 2007
Response to RA Therapy in First 3 Months Predicts Chance of Remission at 1 Year
Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity during the first 3 months of treatment predicts response at 1 year, and even partial response may "reset the baseline" for subsequent treatment...

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
Serum Uric Acid May Be Independent Risk Factor in RA Cardiovascular Disease
Elevated serum uric acid, a potentially modifiable problem, may be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in patients with RA...

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...

Monday Nov 05, 2007
Lab-on-a-Chip Promises Fast Profile of RA Patients' Autoantibodies
A new technique promises fast, inexpensive serum antibody profiling in RA patients without the need for fluorescent labeling or preprocessing...

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...

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...

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...

Thursday Sep 20, 2007
Researchers Identify Additional RA, SLE Genes
Genetics researchers report a new variant on chromosome 9 associated with anti-CCP-positive RA and a mutation of STAT4 on chromosome 2q associated with both RA and lupus...

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
Anesiva Initiates New Phase II Trial of Adleaâ„¢ for Pain Relief Following Total Knee Arthroplasty
Anesiva, Inc, a publicly-held, late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic treatments for pain management, announced that it has initiated a new phase II study of Adleaâ„¢, a long-acting, nonopiate TRPV1 agonist, for the relief of postoperative pain in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA)...

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.

Friday Sep 14, 2007
Doctors Often Scoff at Reports of Statin Myopathy, UCSD Researchers Say

Myopathy is the most common adverse drug reaction (ADR) reported by patients taking statins, but a new study finds that doctors often wrongly dismiss these reports...Golomb BA, et al. Drug Safety. 2007;30:669-675.

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.

Friday Sep 07, 2007
Archus Orthopedics Completes World's First Lumbosacral Facet Joint Replacement 
Archus Orthopedics, Inc, a privately-held company developing reconstructive implants to treat a variety of spine disorders resulting from degenerative changes in the facet joints, announced that it has successfully completed in Europe the first human implants of its new TFAS-LS^â„¢ system, representing the first ever facet joint replacement procedures performed at the lumbosacral spinal (LS) level...

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].

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
Three New Studies Investigate How—Or Even If—Race and Ethnicity Affect Arthritis
CIAOMed takes an in-depth look at current research on the relationship between race, ethnicity, and arthritis...

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...

Friday Aug 17, 2007
Mayo Researchers Shake, Blast Biofilms to ID Bacteria Infecting Joint Prostheses
Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new test that identifies organisms infecting joint prostheses more accurately than sampling tissue around the joint at the time of resection...Trampuz A, et al. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:654-663.

Thursday Aug 16, 2007
Even Moderate Exercise Improves Outcomes in JIA
Two new studies document diminished aerobic and anaerobic exercise capacity in children and teens with JIA and show that even moderate exercise can markedly improve outcomes...

Wednesday Aug 08, 2007
Many OA Patients Willing to Accept Vioxx-Level GI, Heart, Stroke Risk in Exchange for Pain Relief
The first study to ask OA patients how much risk of adverse effects they were willing to accept for a 20% or 50% reduction in pain finds that most are willing to accept additional risk of gastric bleeding, heart attack, or stroke...Richardson CG, et al. J Rheumatol. 2007;34:1569-1575.

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...

Monday Jul 30, 2007
Can Vitamin D Help Treat RA?
Low vitamin D levels linked to more severe inflammatory arthritis…Patel S, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2143-2149.

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®.

Monday Jul 23, 2007
BioCryst, Roche Initiate Phase II Study of PNP Inhibitor for Psoriasis
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a leader in the use of crystallography and structure-based drug design for the development of novel therapeutics, announced the initiation of the first phase II study to evaluate BCX-4208/R3421, an orally available, small molecule, second generation transition-state analog inhibitor of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP).

Monday Jul 23, 2007
Birth Defects Reported After First-Trimester Leflunomide
Leflunomide (Arava^R) has been reported to cause teratogenic effects in animals and is suspected of causing blindness and cerebral palsy in the son of a woman who took the drug through the first 21 weeks of gestation.

Friday Jul 20, 2007
OA Experts Discuss Inflammation, Joint Protection, Need for Disease-Modifying OA Drugs
CIAOMed's roundtable of osteoarthritis experts discuss the role of inflammation in OA, the possibility that OA joint damage might be preventable, and the future role of disease-modifying drugs in OA....

Wednesday Jul 18, 2007
Brain Function Linked to "Noncontact" Knee Injuries
Differences in brain function may predispose athletes to ACL injury…Swanik CB, et al. Am J Sports Med. 2007;35:943-948.

Tuesday Jul 17, 2007
NicOx Initiates Third Pivotal Phase III Study of Naproxcinod for OA of the Hip
NicOx SA, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of nitric oxide-donating drugs targeting the therapeutic areas of inflammation and cardiometabolic disease, announced the initiation of the third pivotal phase III clinical trial for naproxcinod in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip.

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...

Thursday Jul 05, 2007
Too Much Early, Aggressive Care Slows Recovery From Whiplash
Early, aggressive treatment of whiplash impedes recovery, and adding chiropractic to general medical care slows recuperation even more...

Thursday Jun 21, 2007
Lumiracoxib Effective for Hip OA and Better for BP Control Than Ibuprofen in Hypertensive OA Patients
Lumiracoxib shows promise for hip OA, and may be better than ibuprofen for hypertensive OA patients...

Thursday Jun 21, 2007
Genzyme Files for FDA Approval of Single-Treatment Synvisc-Oneâ„¢ for OA Knee Pain
Genzyme Corp announced filing with the US FDA for product marketing authorization (PMA) of Synvisc-Oneâ„¢, the single treatment combining three doses of Synvisc® (hylan G-F 20) that provides up to 6 months of pain relief from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee...

Saturday Jun 16, 2007
Swedish Study Concludes That Having at Least 3 Drinks a Week Halves RA Risk
The more alcohol a person consumes, the more one's risk of RA is reduced...

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...

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...

Wednesday May 23, 2007
4SC AG Updates Progress of Phase IIa Clinical Trial in RA

4SC AG, focusing on the discovery and development of novel drug candidates for inflammatory diseases and cancer using a cheminformatics-based technology platform, reported on the progress of a phase IIa clinical trial of its lead drug candidate SC12267, an orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

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...

Thursday May 10, 2007
Hydrotherapy, Tai Chi May Be Better Than Traditional Land-Based Exercises for OA
Hydrotherapy and Tai Chi are both better at improving physical function in OA patients than traditional exercise programs, and hydrotherapy has a particularly high patient adherence, perhaps because it seems to provide greater pain relief...

Monday May 07, 2007
Novartis' Once-Yearly Reclast^R Significantly Reduces Bone Fractures in Women With Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp announced that its once-yearly treatment of Reclast^R (zoledronic acid) significantly reduces the incidence of all types of osteoporotic bone fractures in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis...

Monday May 07, 2007
Selected Presentations From the American Pain Society Meeting
American Pain Society presentations included new research on genetic factors associated with TMJD and with shoulder pain, a randomized trial of nabilone for fibromyalgia, and the intersection between chronic pain and PTSD...

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…

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...

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 Apr 17, 2007
Is the "Golden Moment of Opportunity" to Improve FDA's Drug Safety Work About to Be Wasted?
The FDA's proposals for the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act are weighed and found wanting by experts in three New England Journal of Medicine commentaries...

Friday Apr 13, 2007
Better Pain Management Urged for OA Patients Awaiting Hip or Knee Replacement in U.K.
Most patients on waiting lists for hip or knee replacement in Britain, report continuing, severe pain and suboptimal levels of analgesia...

Tuesday Apr 10, 2007
Aromatase Inhibitors Linked to Increasing Rate of Arthralgias in Cancer Survivors
Aromatase inhibitors have revolutionized breast cancer treatment, but are also contributing to increased rates of arthralgias in cancer survivors and may uncover underlying RA in some cases...

Friday Apr 06, 2007
Shared Epitope Either Raises or Lowers Risk of RA-Related Antibodies, Depending on Neighboring Amino Acids
HLA-DRB1 shared epitope alleles can either predispose to or protect against production of autoantibodies associated with early, erosive RA, depending on which amino acids occupy neighboring positions...

Tuesday Apr 03, 2007
Inflammation More Important Than Joint Damage in Psoriatic Arthritis Disability
Psoriatic arthritis disease activity is more important than joint damage in causing disability, especially in the early years of disease duration…

Monday Apr 02, 2007
News Analysis: New FDA Conflict-of-Interest Guidelines May Impact Advisory Committees
FDA is moving to tighten financial conflict-of-interest guidelines for members of FDA advisory committees, despite evidence that excluding participants with such interests would have had no impact on the vote outcomes of prior meetings…

Thursday Mar 29, 2007
FDG-PET Does Not Predict PMR Relapse But Does Show Inflammation of Processi Spinosi
FDG-PET did not help identify polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) patients at high risk for relapse but did reveal a high level of inflammation of the processi spinosi, a novel finding that might help explain the morning stiffness reported by so many PMR patients...

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…

Thursday Mar 22, 2007
Clinquest Obtains from TNO Exclusive Worldwide Rights to Develop and Commercialize Protein for Inflammatory Disorders
Clinquest Group (AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands), a provider of product development services to the biopharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics and medical data industries, and TNO (DELFT, The Netherlands), an independent research technology organization, announced the signing of a license and collaboration agreement that provides Clinquest with the exclusive rights to worldwide clinical development and commercialization of CQ-07001, a human protein shown to be a powerful agonist to toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and a candidate for anti-inflammatory and tissue regeneration applications...

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
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...

Thursday Mar 08, 2007
Mayo Clinic Study Suggests that Steroids Raise CV Risk Only in RF-Positive Patients
Steroid exposure increases CV risk in RA patients who were RF-positive, but not in patients RF-negative, Mayo Clinic researchers conclude...

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
Common Analgesics Raise Hypertension Risk in Men
Men who routinely use acetaminophen, NSAIDs, or aspirin have a roughly 30% increased risk of developing hypertension...

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...

Thursday Feb 22, 2007
Zimmer and ISTO Start Clinical Trial of Neocartilage (DeNovo® ET Engineered Tissue Graft), a Novel Cartilage Regeneration Treatment 
Zimmer Holdings, Inc, an orthopaedic leader in reconstructive and spinal implants, trauma, and related orthopaedic surgical products, and ISTO Technologies, Inc, a clinical-stage orthobiologic company that focuses on cell-based technology for the repair and regeneration of damaged cartilage in joints and spinal discs, announced the initiation of a clinical trial for Neocartilage, a living tissue-engineered graft...

Thursday Feb 22, 2007
Study Supports Intra-Articular Steroid Injections for Hip OA
Steroid injections in the hip to treat hip OA were effective in an uncontrolled pilot study and should be studied in randomized, controlled trials...

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 Feb 15, 2007
Surgeons Warn Against Over-Use of "Minimally Invasive Surgery" for Hip Replacements
Surgeons at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 74th Annual Meeting questioned the advantages of minimally invasive hip replacement surgery compared with "gold standard" open THR... AAOS 2007 Annual Meeting.

Tuesday Feb 13, 2007
Rheumatologists Advised to Be Alert for Signs of Serum Sickness in Rituximab-Treated Patients
The first case of rituximab-induced serum sickness in a patient without an underlying autoimmune disorder suggests that this problem might be under-recognized in RA and SLE patients...

Thursday Feb 01, 2007
Brain Dysfunction Precedes the Development of Fibromyalgia
Abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can be detected more than a year before the development of fibromyalgia symptoms in patients who are psychologically "at risk." HPA dysfunction appears to increase the chance that psychological stress will trigger chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain...

Tuesday Jan 30, 2007
Whiplash Rarely Results in Widespread Pain
New research shows that individuals with whiplash who report early symptoms of depression and those with severe neck injury are most at risk for widespread pain...

Tuesday Jan 30, 2007
Arthritis Costs Consumed 1.2% of US GDP in 2003, but Per-Patient Costs Are Not Rising
CDC's latest analysis of direct and indirect costs of arthritis and related conditions finds a population-driven surge to $128 billion in 2003. The surprise is that per-person direct medical costs actually decreased slightly. Centers for Disease Control...

Thursday Jan 25, 2007
Questions Raised About Study That Links SSRIs to Doubling of Fracture Risk in Elderly
A cohort study of minimal trauma fractures in community-dwelling elderly patients recently concluded  that daily use of SSRI antidepressants doubles fracture risk, but the data may not be strong enough to justify that conclusion...

Friday Jan 19, 2007
Anesiva's Phase II and Phase III Pivotal Clinical Studies of 4975, a Long-Acting Pain Candidate, to Start in 2007 for Osteoarthritis and Postsurgical Pain (Total Knee Arthroplasty)
Anesiva, Inc. (SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, California), a publicly-held, late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic treatments for pain management, announced the planned phase II/III clinical trial program for the development of 4975, a long-acting, nonopioid, capsaicin-based agonist of TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1; formerly known as vanilloid receptor 1 or VR1), a ligand-gated ion channel activated by agonists such as capsaicin and other factors (eg, heat and acidosis), for the acute treatment of severe pain including osteoarthritis (OA) and postsurgical pain...

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...

Tuesday Jan 09, 2007
Pilot Study Data Support Trial of Intermittent versus Continuous Celecoxib in OA
 Intermittent celecoxib was not significantly less effective than continuous celecoxib in a pilot study of patients with hip or knee OA.

Thursday Jan 04, 2007
RA Emerges as Major Burden in Developing Countries
The average societal cost of RA cases in Thailand is estimated at over 40% of patients' average annual income...

Wednesday Jan 03, 2007
The Change in (Chronic) Pain Is Plainly in the Brain
Patients with chronic lower back pain show imaging changes in the cingulate gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and prefrontal cortex...

Friday Dec 22, 2006
New Studies Suggest That Autoantibodies Damage Brain, Cause Cognitive Impairment in SLE Patients
The cognition and mood disturbances common in lupus patients might be due in part to autoantibodies that target the NMDA receptor and cause progressive damage of the amygdala and hippocampus...

Wednesday Dec 20, 2006
GlaxoSmithKline and Genmab Enter Exclusive Global Agreement for HuMax-CD20, a B-cell Depletion Agent; Deal Potentially Worth US$2.1 Billion
GlaxoSmithKline plc and Genmab A/S announced a worldwide agreement to codevelop and commercialize HuMax-CD20â„¢ (ofatumumab), a fully human monoclonal IgG1antibody targeting the CD20 antigen on the surface of B cells and currently in phase II clinical trial development for active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and in late-stage development for CD20 positive B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

Thursday Dec 14, 2006
Women's Health Study Data Rule Out CRP As Predictor of RA Risk in Women
Elevated CRP levels are not a good predictor of subsequent development of RA in otherwise healthy women...

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.

Monday Dec 04, 2006
Genzyme's Synvisc® Demonstrated to Improve Osteoarthritis Knee Pain With Single Dose
Genzyme Corporation announced preliminary results from a study conducted in Europe that indicate that patients treated with a single dose of Synvisc® (hylan G-F 20) achieved a statistically significant improvement in pain from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee over 26 weeks compared with those using placebo.

Monday Nov 27, 2006
Rituximab in RA
Rituximab prevents joint damage, can be given repeatedly, and does not block response to influenza vaccine in RA patients... Presented at ACR 2006 Meeting.

Monday Nov 20, 2006
Cytochroma Initiates Phase II Psoriasis Clinical Trial for CTA018, a Novel Vitamin D Analog
Cytochroma Inc, an integrated specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of proprietary products related to vitamin D deficiency and novel vitamin D therapies to treat hyperproliferative disorders such as psoriasis and cancer, has initiated the recruitment of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis for a phase II clinical trial with CTA018 cream.

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.

Monday Nov 13, 2006
Beyond HLA: Genetic Studies Find Markers Associated With Elevated Risk for RA

HLA DR4 is only one of the genetic factors involved in RA, and new genomics techniques are beginning to fill in the rest of the picture... Gregersen PK. Presented at ACR 2006 Meeting.

Monday Nov 13, 2006
Rheumatologists Urged to Remember Global Health Concerns
Rheumatologists must pay attention to the current global health crisis and aid in the efforts to bring life-saving tools to the developing world, urged Tadataka Yamada, MD, executive director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Health Program in Seattle, WA... Presented at: ACR 2006 Meeting.

Thursday Nov 09, 2006
Novartis' Prexige Cleared for Approval in EU for Patients with Osteoarthritic Pain
Novartis announced that PrexigeR (lumiracoxib), an oral selective COX-2 inhibitor anti-inflammatory drug, has been cleared for approval in the European Union (EU) as a new treatment option for patients suffering from osteoarthritis (OA).

Tuesday Nov 07, 2006
Ablynx, Wyeth Sign Exclusive Research and License Agreement for Nanobodies® Directed at TNF-α and Its Receptors
Ablynx, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of a novel class of therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments (Nanobodies®) announced that they have entered into a research collaboration and exclusive worldwide license agreement with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (a division of Wyeth) to discover, develop, and commercialize Nanobodies directed at TNF-α and its receptors, targeting diseases in multiple therapeutic areas.

Tuesday Nov 07, 2006
Study IDs Predictors of Poor Outcome in Enthesitis-Related Arthritis
Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) patients tend to have worse outcomes than children  with other subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Predictors of poor outcome include family history of related diseases, the presence of HLA-DRB1*08, the absence of a protective HLA subtype, and persistently elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)…

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...

Thursday Nov 02, 2006
RCT Supports Acupuncture Benefit in Knee, Hip OA
Acupuncture combined with usual medical care results in improvements in both pain and quality of life among patients with chronic knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) compared with routine care alone...

Wednesday Nov 01, 2006
Genzyme to Challenge Medicare Code and Reimbursement Decision for Synvisc
Genzyme Corporation, one of the world's leading biotechnology companies, announced that it will work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), government officials and, if necessary, through legal channels to dispute a CMS decision to group all viscosupplementation products into a single reimbursement code.

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.

Thursday Oct 19, 2006
Conventional strength training program has little effect on knee OA progression
Conventional strength training exercises have little effect on progression of knee osteoarthritis... Mikesky AE, et al. Arthritis Care & Research 2006;55:690-693.

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.

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
Genzyme's Synvisc Receives European Approval to Expand Label to Include the Treatment of OA Pain of the Ankle and Shoulder
Genzyme Corporation announced that it has received European approval to expand the CE mark labeling for SynviscR (hylan G-F 20) to include treatment of pain due to osteoarthritis (OA) of the ankle and shoulder. Genzyme expects to begin marketing Synvisc in the EU with its new label immediately.

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.

Thursday Sep 14, 2006
Gout Is an Independent Risk Factor for Acute MI
New data show that gout, the most common inflammatory arthritis in the US population, is the third highest risk factor for acute MI after smoking and family history... Krishnan E, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2688-2696.

Wednesday Sep 06, 2006
Logical Therapeutics Launches Operations With Seed Capital and In-Licenses Novel Anti-Inflammatory Drug From Medinox
Logical Therapeutics, Inc., an early-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapeutic agents to treat medical conditions caused by poorly controlled or excessive inflammatory responses, announced that it has completed a Seed round of financing in partnership with PA Early Stage Partners...

Friday Sep 01, 2006
NMDA Receptor Antibodies Tied to Depression in Lupus, But Not to Cognitive Changes
Anti-NR2 antibodies, which target the NMDA receptor, are associated with depression in patients with lupus but not with cognitive dysfunction... Lapteva L, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2505-2514.

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.

Thursday Aug 31, 2006
Genizon Grants Exclusive License for Crohn's Disease GeneMap to Genentech
Genizon BioSciences, a gene and drug target discovery company, announced a license and collaboration agreement with Genentech, Inc. under which Genizon granted Genentech an exclusive license to Genizon's GeneMap of disease-associated genes generated from a whole genome association study of Crohn's disease patients from the Quebec Founder Population...

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...

Thursday Aug 24, 2006
Merck's Investigational Selective COX-2 Inhibitor, ARCOXIA (Etoricoxib), for Arthritis and Pain Yields Mixed Clinical Results Against the NSAID Diclofenac
Merck & Co, Inc. announced preliminary analyses of the MEDAL (Multinational Etoricoxib and Diclofenac Arthritis Long-Term) program study as showing the rate of confirmed thrombotic cardiovascular (CV) events to be similar between the selective COX-2 inhibitor ARCOXIAâ„¢ (the planned successor to Vioxx) and diclofenac, the most widely prescribed traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Wednesday Aug 23, 2006
Genzyme Files for European Approval to Expand Label for Synvisc in Ankle and Shoulder Indications
Genzyme Corp. announced that it has filed with the European authority to expand the continuing education mark for Synvisc® (hylan G-F 20) to include treatment of pain due to osteoarthritis (OA) of the ankle and shoulder...

Friday Aug 18, 2006
OA Radiography Correlates Well with Knee Pain, New Study Shows
A new study of radiographic changes in patients with knee pain finds  a consistent association between pain severity, stiffness, and physical function and the presence of radiographic osteoarthritis. .... Duncan R, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 July 28; [Epub ahead of print]

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.

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 27, 2006
ZymoGenetics Report Positive Preliminary Findings from Atacicept (TACI-Ig) Phase Ib Studies in Patients with Lupus
ZymoGenetics, Inc, announced preliminary positive findings from two phase Ib clinical trials in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treated with atacicept.

Tuesday Jul 18, 2006
Orthopaedic Surgeons Must Learn to Manage Obese Patients
As the epidemic of obesity collides with the skyrocketing rates of joint replacement surgery, orthopaedic surgeons will need to brush up on skills to better manage obese patients…Guss D, et al. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2006;14:425-432.

Saturday Jul 08, 2006
New Study Supports Steroid Injections for Hip OA
Data from a new randomized, controlled trial support the EULAR recommendation on steroid injections for hip OA....Lambert RG, et al. EULAR 2006.

Saturday Jun 24, 2006
Doctors Urged to Recognize Toll RA Takes on Patient's Sex Life
Health practitioners should be willing to provide information about sexual aids and positions that will allow patients with rheumatoid arthritis to continue to enjoy a healthy sex life without risking joint pain or damage... Helland Y, et al. EULAR 2006 Meeting; June 21–24, 2006; Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Abstract OP0134.

Friday Jun 23, 2006
Quick Response to Steroids, Symmetrical Joint Pain Distinguish PMR From Elderly-Onset RA
Clinical and laboratory findings tend to be unhelpful in distinguishing between rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica in the elderly; instead, the symmetric involvement of peripheral joints and the rapid response to low-dose oral corticosteroid therapy should be considered key diagnostic features of PMR... Salvarani, C. 2006 EULAR meeting; June 21–24 2006; Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Monday Jun 12, 2006
Music Relieves Pain, Depression, and Disability in Chronic Pain Patients
An hour or two a day of self-selected music decreased pain, depression, and disability levels in patients with chronic nonmalignant pain... Siedliecki SL, Good M. J Adv Nurs. 2006;54:553-562.

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]

Wednesday May 24, 2006
MacroGenics Raises $45M in Series C Financing to Support Phase II/III Trial of CD3 Monoclonal Diabetes Treatment 
MacroGenics, Inc, of Rockville, Maryland, announced that it has raised $45 million in a Series C financing round...

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.

Friday May 12, 2006
Cochrane Review Questions Muscle Relaxants, NSAIDs, Botox for Neck Pain
A Cochrane systematic review of randomized trials of medicines and injections used to treat mechanical neck disorders such as whiplash found scant support for commonly used treatments such as muscle relaxants and NSAIDs, and a general lack of solid clinical research on treatment of neck pain... Peloso PM, et al. J Rheumatol. 2006;33:957-967.

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
Rituximab Shown to Be Effective Without Steroids in DANCER Study
Two doses of rituximab were shown to be equally effective when added to methotrexate in patients with DMARD-resistant RA, and glucocorticoids did not increase the benefit... Emery P, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:1390-1400.

Tuesday Apr 18, 2006
Studies Suggest Link Between Smoking and Autoantibody Production
Two new studies have established an association between smoking and the development of autoantibodies and suggest that rheumatologists should include smoking cessation efforts as part of a comprehensive care plan for patients with autoimmune diseases... Freemer MM, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:581-584.

Wednesday Apr 05, 2006
Multiple Factors, Including the Quality of the PCP-Rheumatologist Relationship, Contribute to Referral Delays for Patients With Early RA
Although recent guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) stress the need for timely diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), one half of patients with early RA are not referred to rheumatologists in a timely manner... Suter LG, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;55:300-305.

Monday Apr 03, 2006
TransPharma Medicalâ„¢ Ltd Gains Promising Clinical Trial Results for Its hPTH (1-34) Transdermal Delivery, Investigative Product for Osteoporosis
TransPharma Medicalâ„¢ Ltd, of Lod, Israel, announced promising results from the first human clinical trials demonstrating transdermal delivery of human parathyroid hormone 1-34 fragment (hPTH 1-34)...

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.

Friday Mar 17, 2006
High BMI Increases Risk for Total Hip Arthroplasty
High body mass index is a risk factor for total hip arthroplasty... Flugsrud GB, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:802-807.

Thursday Mar 09, 2006
RA Patients Have Increased Risk of Preclinical Atherosclerosis
Rheumatoid arthritis patients have an increased prevalence of preclinical atherosclerosis independent of traditional risk factors... Roman MJ, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:249-256.

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.

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.

Tuesday Feb 14, 2006
Disease Activity and Severity Seen as Determinants in Starting Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Blockers in Ankylosing Spondylitis Prior to Publication of ASAS Recommendations
Both disease activity and severity were determinants in starting tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers in ankylosing spondylitis patients prior to the publication of the 2003 Assessment in AS (ASAS) international working group recommendations... Pham T, et al. Ann Rheum Dis [serial online]. February 7, 2006; doi:10.1136/ard.2005.042630

Monday Feb 13, 2006
DOV Initiates Phase II Trial of Analgesic Bicifadine in Osteoarthritis
DOV Pharmaceutical, Inc, of Hackensack, NJ, announced the start of its phase II clinical trial of bicifadine, a novel analgesic...

Thursday Feb 09, 2006
Low-Dose Prednisone Increases Risk of Pneumonia in RA Patients
New research showing a dose-related relationship between prednisone use and pneumonia risk in rheumatoid arthritis calls into question the commonly held belief that low-dose prednisone is safe... Wolfe F, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:628-634.

Tuesday Feb 07, 2006
NSAIDs More Effective Than Acetaminophen in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe OA Pain
Acetaminophen reduces pain from hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA), but nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are more effective in patients with moderate to severe OA pain, although individual risk factors need to be considered when choosing a therapy. Towheed TE, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;(1):CD004257.

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.

Wednesday Feb 01, 2006
EMEA Recommends Approval of Remicade® for Ulcerative Colitis
Centocor, Inc, has announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Union's European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended the approval of Remicade^R for ulcerative colitis...

Monday Jan 30, 2006
PharmaFrontiers Obtains Exclusive License to T-Cell Vaccine for RA
PharmaFrontiers Corp, of The Woodlands, Texas, announced that it has acquired an exclusive worldwide license...

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.

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
Combination of cDNA Expression Library and Whatman Protein Microarray Technology Led to Identification of Potential Autoantigens in the Pathogenesis of Alopecia Areata
Whatman, plc (Middlesex, UK), and Protagen, AG (Dortmund, Germany), have issued a joint statement announcing that the combination of two promising technologies...

Wednesday Jan 18, 2006
Illumina, Inc, Has Announced That the NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium Will Perform a Genome-Wide Survey to Identify Genetic Variants That Increase Susceptibility to Crohn's Disease
Illumina, Inc, has announced that the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium...

Wednesday Jan 18, 2006
P&G and Sanofi-Aventis File Lawsuit Against Roche and GSK Alleging False and Misleading Advertising for Osteoporosis Drug Boniva®
Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi-Aventis US, LLC, co-marketers of Actonel® (risedronate sodium) tablets, announced that they have filed...

Wednesday Jan 11, 2006
Repligen and University of Michigan File Infringement Complaint Against BMS Over Orencia®
Repligen Corporation of Waltham, Massachusetts, announced that Repligen and the University of Michigan (UM) have filed a joint complaint against Bristol-Myers Squibb Corporation (BMS) for infringement of a US patent...

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 03, 2006
Several Potential Biomarkers May Help Predict the Development of Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) has been found to be associated with changes in the serum proteins implicated in matrix degradation, cellular activation, and inflammation—changes that can occur years before radiographic detection of the disease... Ling SM, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8–11, 2005; Boston, Mass. Abstract P51.

Thursday Dec 22, 2005
Studies Evaluate Relationship Between Smoking, Obesity, and Exacerbation of Psoriasis
New research into the behavioral and environmental determinants of psoriasis has linked obesity and smoking with exacerbation of the disease, calling attention to the importance of weight reduction and smoking cessation in such patients…Fortes C, et al. Arch Dermatol. 2005;141:1580-1584.

Thursday Dec 22, 2005
TolerRX Initiates Phase Ib Trials of Novel Antibody Therapies for Psoriasis and Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
TolerRX, Inc, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced the initiation of a phase Ib study of the monoclonal antibody TRX4 in patients with moderate-to-severe...

Tuesday Dec 13, 2005
Domantis Raises $29 Million in Series B Financing to Advance Its Human Domain Antibody (dAb) Therapeutics
Domantis Ltd has announced the acquisition of $29 million in series B financing from existing investors as well as new investors Novo Nordisk and MC Life Science Ventures...

Thursday Nov 17, 2005
Three Novel and Distinct Agents Show Promise in RA
Three promising new rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drugs—including an oral small-molecule inhibitor that targets a novel adenosine receptor (AR) and a new anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) agent—may soon augment the rheumatologist's ever-expanding armamentarium... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.

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
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.

Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
Cerimon Pharmaceuticals Acquires Topical NSAID and Secures $70 Million in Series A Financing
Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of South San Francisco, California, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of therapeutics in the areas of autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and pain, announced that it has acquired the US rights to market and sell two topical formulations of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac.

Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
Chromos to Acquire Target Molecules Corporation and Its Anti-VLA-2 Product Candidate for Inflammatory Diseases; Complete a $6–10 Million Private Placement
Chromos Molecular Systems Inc of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, has announced that it will acquire Target Molecules Corporation of San Diego, California, a privately held biotechnology company with two preclinical stage antibody product candidates, including TMC-2003

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.

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.

Friday Oct 14, 2005
New Risk Factors Linked to Pathogenesis of Giant Cell Arteritis
Early menopause, low body mass index, and smoking all increase the risk of developing giant cell arteritis.... Larsson K, et al. Ann Rheum Dis [serial online]. August 26, 2005.

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...

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.

Wednesday Sep 28, 2005
Roche and GSK Tout Efficacy, Safety, and Convenience of Once-Monthly Boniva^R Osteoporosis Therapy at ASBMR Annual Meeting
Roche Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline presented 4 posters (2 studies) at the 27^th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research...

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.

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: 27^th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-25, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.

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.

Monday Sep 19, 2005
A Leading Rheumatologist Reflects on How Cyclooxygenase Became a Household Word
Just as it appeared that the dust from the great COX-2 controversies had begun to settle, a jury in Texas awarded a plaintiff a judgment against Merck & Co for one quarter of a billion dollars - indeed, for a death that, arguably, was not Vioxx-related.

Friday Sep 16, 2005
Generic Equivalents of Sanofi-Aventis' Arava® Now Available for Adult RA

Prasco Laboratories, a privately held pharmaceutical company located in Cincinnati, Ohio, announced...

Tuesday Sep 06, 2005
Aromatase Inhibitors Linked to Arthralgias
With increasing use of aromatase inhibitors as both a breast cancer treatment and preventive agent, rheumatologists should be aware of associated joint pain and musculoskeletal aching... Felson DT, Cummings SR. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2594-2598.

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...

Wednesday Aug 17, 2005
Elevated CRP May Predict Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in RA Patients
New research augments the growing body of evidence suggesting that the inflammation of RA causes premature atherosclerosis... Goodson NJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2293-2299.

Sunday Aug 14, 2005
Whatman/Schleicher & Schuell and the Private Institute for Immunology and Molecular Genetics to Market Protein Chip–Based Autoimmune Assay
Whatman/Schleicher & Schuell and the Private Institute for Immunology and Molecular Genetics of Germany...

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

Friday Aug 05, 2005
RA Patients With High BMI Have Lower Mortality
In a finding that runs contrary to the recognized relationship between increased weight and mortality, a new study has found that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with a high body mass index had a lower risk of death than their leaner counterparts... Escalante A, Haas RW, del Rincón I. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1624-1629.

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/.

Thursday Jul 28, 2005
Parkinson's Drug Shows Initial Promise in Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia patients taking pramipexole, a dopamine₃-receptor agonist, reported decreased pain and fatigue and improved function and global status compared with study participants taking placebo... Holman AJ, Myers RR. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2495-2505.

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
Swedish Study Clarifies Connection Between TB, RA, and Use of TNF-α Inhibitors
Irrespective of whether TNF-α inhibitors were administered, Swedish patients with RA were at an increased risk of TB, and TB risk is further heightened by use of biologic agents... Askling J, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:1986-1992

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
Weight Loss Reduces Knee Joint Load
Losing just one pound results in a four-fold reduction in knee joint load in overweight and obese patients with OA of the knee... Messier SP, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2026-2032.

Wednesday Jul 06, 2005
Radiological Grade, High Global Assessment, and Past NSAID Use Strongly Predictive of Hip OA Joint Replacement
Patients with OA of the hip who presented with a radiological grade of III or IV, a high mean global assessment during the first 6 months, and previous treatment with NSAIDs have a stronger likelihood of undergoing total hip replacement surgery... Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64:1028-1032

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

Friday Jun 10, 2005
High Doses of All NSAIDs Reportedly Increase Heart Attack Risk
The largest study to date on the association between cardiovascular events and the use of NSAIDs has found that the increase in risk is not limited to selective inhibitors of COX-2, and that, in fact, some nonselective NSAIDs confer the greatest risks...Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Tuesday Jun 07, 2005
Radiographic Assessment Effective in Predicting Progression of Hip Osteoarthritis
A Kellgren and Lawrence score of 2 or higher at baseline is a strong predictor for progression of hip OA, particularly in patients with hip pain...Reijman M, et al. BMJ. 2005;330:1183-1188.

Thursday May 26, 2005
African-American and Hispanic Osteoarthritis Patients Less Likely Than Caucasians to Undergo Knee Replacement Surgery
These minority populations are significantly less likely to consider knee arthroplasty compared with their Caucasian counterparts regardless of health status, a finding that researchers attribute to differences in the perception of benefit, trust in the physician, and personal experience with the procedure...Suarez-Almazor ME, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1117-1124.

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

Monday May 09, 2005
Immunomedics Acquires Funding to Continue Development of a Humanized Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody for Lupus
Immunomedics, Inc, has raised more than $37 million for Phase III trials of epratuzumab, the company's humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe lupus. Details of the clinical protocols have been finalized with the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency, and two Phase III trials are to be initiated in the first half of this year. Immunomedics continues to evaluate potential strategic partnerships for the commercialization of epratuzumab in lupus. The funds were secured through a closed private placement of its 5% Senior Convertible Notes and common stock warrants.

Thursday May 05, 2005
Presence of Parallel Neural Pain Pathways May Assist in the Management of Fibromyalgia Patients
New research among patients with fibromyalgia shows evidence of parallel, independent neural processing pathways for sensory and affective pain, a finding that may lead to better diagnosis, selection of therapeutic agents, and efficacy for the chronic pain and concomitant depression that accompany the condition... Giesecke T, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:1577-1584.

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].

Thursday Apr 21, 2005
Novel PAR-2 Antagonists Developed for Inflammatory Disease and Cancer
Preclinical studies conducted by EntreMed, Inc, indicate that its proteinase activated receptor (PAR-2) antagonists not only inhibit tumor growth and the formation of new blood vessels in animal models, but also block inflammation in preclinical rheumatoid arthritis and in models of acute inflammation. The new data were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in Anaheim, California.

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.

Wednesday Apr 06, 2005
Study Links TNF Inhibitors to Dermatologic Problems in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Although a causative relationship has yet to be established, the new data put physicians on alert for a "less than major complication" Flendrie M, et al. Arthritis Res Ther. 2005;7:666-676.

Monday Apr 04, 2005
Analgesic Drug Pipeline, Though Relatively Dry, Poised for Revitalization
Despite a relative paucity in the current analgesic pipeline, a greater understanding of complex pain processes, pharmacogenetics, and new diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets, including assays and biomarkers, may open the doorway to more effective therapies, as well as better use of existing treatments...Presented at: 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society; March 30-April 2, 2005; Boston, Mass.

Wednesday Mar 30, 2005
Cognitive-Behavioral Program Helps OA Patients Feel and Function Better
A self-management program that teaches goal setting, self-relaxation, and other behavioral measures improves pain and self-reported function in Dutch cohort... Heuts PH, et al. J Rheumatol 2005;32:543-549.

Friday Mar 25, 2005
Genetic Variation Helps Predict Response to Etanercept in Rheumatoid Arthritis
As the FDA takes action to speed the clinical application of pharmacogenetics, the possibility of personalized medicine for RA patients got a boost from a new study showing that a polymorphism in TNF-α affects the response to etanercept therapy...Kang CP, et al. Rheumatology. 2005;44:547-552.

Thursday Mar 24, 2005
Residencies in Orthopaedic Surgery and Other Specialties Remain Competitive in 2005 Match
The National Resident Matching Program reported a record year for the number of first-year residency positions and the number of positions filled.

Sunday Mar 20, 2005
Canada's NRC Funds ChondroGene to Support Development of OA Test
ChondroGene Limited of Toronto, Canada, has received financial support from the Canadian National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program to further develop a blood-based test to stage osteoarthritis (OA) and to detect early, asymptomatic disease.

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.

Saturday Mar 12, 2005
Genzyme Acquires a Second-Generation Cartilage Repair Product; Buys Back Rights to SynviscR
Genzyme Corp has acquired Verigen AG, a private German company that has developed a proprietary cell-therapy product for cartilage repair.

Thursday Mar 03, 2005
Internet Can Be a Less Than Reliable Source of Information on Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement Surgery
Online direct-to-consumer marketing and surgeon self-promotion can create false expectations for patients researching hip arthroplasty...The 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; February 23-27, 2005; Washington, DC.

Thursday Mar 03, 2005
Internet Can Be a Less Than Reliable Source of Information on Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement Surgery
Online direct-to-consumer marketing and surgeon self-promotion can create false expectations for patients researching hip arthroplasty...The 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; February 23-27, 2005; Washington, DC.

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
Outpatient Arthroplasty May Become the Standard of Care
With minimally invasive surgical techniques, an increasing number of total joint replacement procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis...72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; February 23, 2005

Friday Feb 25, 2005
Obese and Overweight Patients Tend to Gain Weight After Lower Extremity Arthroplasty
A new study counters the assumption that obese and overweight patients with hip or knee arthritis will lose weight after arthroplasty...72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, February 23-27, 2005.

Friday Feb 25, 2005
New Findings Show Improved Outcomes With Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization
A new military study shows that arthroscopic shoulder stabilization performed through puncture wounds yields similar results with fewer complications and less operative time than traditional open surgery ... 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; February 23, 2005.

Thursday Feb 10, 2005
Anti-TNF Therapy Does Not Increase Overall Cancer Risk in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, but Is Linked to Higher Number of Lymphomas
Swedish researchers note that the types of lymphomas, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease, were in line with those recently reported in RA patients...Geborek P, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 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 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 23, 2004
Large National Survey Shows Importance of Anxiety Disorders in the Psychopathology of Pain Syndromes
Recent findings add to an emerging body of data suggesting that anxiety may have a stronger association with arthritis and other pain conditions than depression& McWilliams LA, et al. Pain. 2004;111:77-83.

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.

Tuesday Nov 09, 2004
COX-2s, Pain Relief, and Cardiovascular Risk: Where Do We Go From Here?
In the first of a 3-part series, CIAOMed will examine possible underlying mechanisms that may be responsible for elevated cardiovascular risk in select COX-2 inhibitors and whether such explanations extend to all coxibs. Subsequent installments will examine how to manage patients in light of the new reports and the future of this frequently used drug class... Simon LS, Strand V. Cleve Clin J Med. 2004;71:849-856.

Tuesday Oct 19, 2004
APPROVe Study Shows Two-Fold Increased Risk of Coronary Events with VIOXX

Cardiovascular events in the placebo arm of the trial appeared to stop occurring after 18 months, while they continued among patients taking rofecoxib, according to the first detailed report of the drug's withdrawal ...

Monday Oct 18, 2004
You Were Right! The Weather Does Affect Joint Pain
A large-scale study correlates arthritis pain with weather data finding the effect of cooler weather a weak but significant factor in pain... McAlindon TE, Formica MK, Fletcher J, Schmid S. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 18, 2004; San Antonio, Tex. Abstract 596.

Monday Oct 18, 2004
Key Contributors to Rheumatology Acknowledged in ACR 2004 Awards
The opening plenary session acknowledged the recipients of the Presidential Gold Medal, the Distinguished Investigator Award, and the Distinguished Rheumatologist Award.

Monday Oct 18, 2004
Identical Twins Have 5 Times the Risk of Joint Replacement Surgery If Their Twin Has the Procedure

Swedish researchers discover a genetic link for osteoarthritis risk, especially among identical twins, adding to previous findings that did not distinguish between heredity and shared family environment... Lohmander S, Johnell O, Pedersen NL. Poster presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 18, 2004; San Antonio, Texas . . Abstract 228.

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.

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.

Tuesday Sep 21, 2004
Potential Osteoarthritis Biomarker Found
Elevated levels of CTX-II, type II collagen-derived fragments, may be an indicator of the presence and progression of OA.

Monday Sep 20, 2004
Image-Guided Needle Placement's Contribution to Outcomes Questioned

Although image guidance improves the accuracy of needle placement, the practice has not been proven to improve outcomes. (Hall S, Buchbinder R. Ann Rheum Dis. 2004;63:1007-1008.)

Tuesday Aug 31, 2004
Primary Care Physician Survey Shows Back Pain Highly Prevalent, Often Involves Spasm
Acute back injuries often have a spasmodic as well as an inflammatory component; treating both expedites recovery.

Monday Aug 30, 2004
Studies Point to Genetic Susceptibility for Knee Osteoarthritis
(Neame RL, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2004;63:1022-1027; Valdes AM, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50:2497-2507.)

Wednesday Jul 28, 2004
Survey Raises Awareness About the Impact of Psoriasis on Relationships and Daily Life

The results of a national survey emphasize the impact of psoriasis on intimate relationships, social activities, and other aspects of daily life.

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.