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Friday Apr 02, 2010
Spotlight on Sjögren's Syndrome
As many as 4 million Americans are affected by the autoimmune disorder, but most suffer from symptoms for 3 or more years before receiving an accurate diagnosis...

Thursday Apr 01, 2010
ACR Partners with HHS for Lupus Initiative
The American College of Rheumatology will work in conjunction with the US Dept. of Health and Human Services' Offices of Minority Health, Women's Health, and the Surgeon General to launch an educational initiative on lupus diagnosis and treatment...

Friday Mar 12, 2010
Long-term Bisphosphonate Use May Actually Increase Fracture Risk
The osteoporosis drugs may boost bone quantity at the expense of bone quality, eventually weakening users' bones...

Wednesday Mar 03, 2010
Patients Speak Out About the Pain of Fibromyalgia
Sometimes the best way to learn about a disease is to listen to the patients who suffer from it...

Thursday Feb 11, 2010
Merck Settles Vioxx Lawsuits
Merck & Co. has agreed to settle lawsuits over their withdrawn painkiller Vioxx with a strengthening of safety procedures, change of leadership, and payment of legal fees...

Wednesday Feb 10, 2010
FDA Wants to Reduce Radiation Exposure from Medical Scans
Widespread use of CT scans and fluoroscopy is exposing some patients to unnecessary amounts of radiation, and raising their risk of cancer...

Thursday Jan 28, 2010
Pain Pumps May Lead to Development of Chondrolysis
Hundreds of patients have developed the relatively rare ailment after the use of postsurgical pain pumps...

Wednesday Nov 18, 2009
FDA Wants Pain Pump Label Warnings
Chondrolysis follows continuous intra-articular local anesthetic infusion, FDA says...

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...

Thursday Nov 12, 2009
Bristol Set to Challenge Roche for RA IL-6 Blockers
Bristol-Myers Squibb has licensed RA indications for Alder's ALD518 anti-IL-6 monoclonal...

Thursday Nov 05, 2009
TNFα Weakens Bones in Diabetes
High levels of TNF-α in diabetics accelerates cartilage loss, weakens bones, and slows fracture healing...

Thursday Nov 05, 2009
Feds Set to Cut 21.5% from Medicare Fees—Before Healthcare Reform
The new Medicare Physician Fee Schedule will, overall, cut physician's fees by 21.5% in 2010...

Wednesday Nov 04, 2009
Joan T. Merrill, MD, Answers Your Top Five Questions About Benlysta and Lupus
Benlysta™ (belimumab, formerly LymphoStat-B^®) is poised to be the first new lupus drug approved in 50 years...

Wednesday Oct 28, 2009
Third RA Patient Has PML After Rituximab
The FDA's MedWatch warning system reports that a third rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient treated with Genentech's Rituxan (rituximab) has developed PML, this time without prior anti-TNF exposure...

Thursday Oct 22, 2009
Water, Skim Milk May Stave Off Gout Attacks
Encouraging gouty arthritis patients to drink more water and/or skim milk may lead to fewer gout attacks...

Wednesday Oct 21, 2009
Phase 2 Data Support Pfizer's JAK Inhibitor for RA
Two Phase 2 trials reported at ACR show efficacy of JAK inhibitor now in Phase 3...

Tuesday Oct 20, 2009
Infliximab Plus MTX for JIA
Infliximab plus methotrexate (MTX) bests combinations of traditional disease modifying drugs and/or MTX alone for the treatment of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis...

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...

Wednesday Oct 14, 2009
Research Breakthrough: Common Retrovirus May Cause CFS
Two-thirds of chronic fatigue syndrome patients carry xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in their blood...

Wednesday Oct 07, 2009
Can Surgical Masks Protect You From Flu? Maybe
Surgical masks are nearly as effective as N95 respirators in preventing influenza in health care workers...

Wednesday Oct 07, 2009
TNF Blockade in SLE? The Plot Thickens
Brief therapy with 4 infusions of infliximab plus azathioprine produces relatively safe, durable improvements in refractory lupus nephritis...

Tuesday Sep 29, 2009
Fibromyalgia Goes Legit
Better understanding of the brain chemistry anomalies in fibromyalgia have paved the way toward more effective treatments for this pain disorder...

Monday Sep 21, 2009
RA Gene Screening Almost Ready for Primetime
Genetic screening for rheumatoid arthritis risk is not yet clinically useful, but combining five confirmed RA loci may provide an accurate predictive test...

Thursday Sep 17, 2009
Lilly's Cymbalta Maintains Low Back Pain Relief
Data reported at a European pain meeting show that Cymbalta^® (duloxetine) maintains relief of low back pain for 41 weeks...

Thursday Sep 03, 2009
Research Trove: Patients' Online Data
Researchers and patients with rare diseases are turning to the Internet to connect patients around the world and collect their everyday experiences with their illnesses to help shed new light on diseases not yet fully understood...

Monday Aug 31, 2009
Blocking Syndecan-4: A New Way to Treat OA?
Blocking syndecan-4 may represent a whole new approach to treating osteoarthritis...

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...

Tuesday Aug 25, 2009
First RCTs Cast Doubt on Vertebroplasty Gains
The first 2 randomized, placebo-controlled trials of vertebroplasty for osteoporotic fractures show no significant benefits for the procedure...

Wednesday Aug 19, 2009
Echo Urged to Rule Out PAH in High-Risk Lupus
Echocardiogram screening may be useful in identifying pulmonary arterial hypertension in high risk lupus patients...

Tuesday Aug 18, 2009
CBT Helps OA Patients Get Their ZZZs
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help osteoarthritis (OA) patients sleep better and hurt less...

Thursday Aug 13, 2009
Docs Miss Details in Psoriasis Visits
In-office communication between psoriasis patients and clinicians needs improvement...

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...

Wednesday Aug 05, 2009
Black Box Added to TNF Inhibitors for Kids, Teens
The FDA has expanded TNF blocker “black box” warnings to include lymphoma and other cancers in children and teens, leukemia in all patients, and new-onset psoriasis...

Wednesday Aug 05, 2009
Psoriasis: Not Just Skin Deep
Mark G. Lebwohl, MD says psoriasis affects the heart and other vital organs, and treatment with TNF-blockers may reduce the risk of these comorbidities...

Wednesday Aug 05, 2009
Lupus with Leucopenia, Anemia Signals Risk of Leukemia
Lupus patients with persistent leucopenia or anemia may be at risk for myeloid leukemia...

Thursday Jul 30, 2009
GSK Buys $120 Million Piece of Denosumab
GlaxoSmithKline will share denosumab osteoporosis sales in Europe and emerging markets...

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...

Thursday Jul 23, 2009
Gene Therapy Cleared in RA Patient Death
The vector used in an RA gene therapy study did not cause the death of a patient who died during the trial...

Thursday Jul 16, 2009
Tubular Diskectomy Patients Don't Recover Faster
Recovery from minimally invasive tubular diskectomy for sciatica is no quicker than from conventional microdiskectomy...

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 Jul 02, 2009
Lung Study Questions Leflunomide Safety in RA
Rheumatologists who routinely use leflunomide in rheumatoid arthritis patients should be on the look-out for early signs of lung disease...

Thursday Jun 25, 2009
From Inflammation to Bone Formation in SpA
Clinical and animal data reported at EULAR suggest that both controlling inflammation and preventing new bone formation may be required to stop ankylosing spondylitis progression...

Thursday Jun 25, 2009
Pegloticase Shrinks Tophi Even in Resistant Gout
Pegloticase significantly reduced tophus size in 40% of treatment-failure gout patients...

Tuesday Jun 23, 2009
MMF Effective, Safe for Proliferative as well as Membranous Lupus Nephritis
Mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept) may be as effective as, yet safer than, cyclophosphamide for the proliferative lupus glomerulonephritis...

Monday Jun 22, 2009
IL-Blockade with Canakinumab Effective, Safe in JIA
Phase II data show that canakinumab (ACZ885) seems effective and safe in children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis...

Wednesday Jun 17, 2009
EULAR Report Shows Tocilizumab Protects Joints in RA
Actemra^® maintained structure and function in a wide range of RA patients in the LITHE study, with response durations of 2 years in interim analyses...

Monday Jun 15, 2009
Waxman Wants to Let FDA OK Biosimilars Without Legal Authority
Rep. Henry Waxman asks White House to let FDA approve generic biologics...

Tuesday Jun 09, 2009
Medicare Part D “Tiering” May Reduce Access to RA Biologicals
The specialty tiering allowed in the Medicare Part D drug program is likely to impose a heavy financial burden on many RA patients who take—or should take—biologics...

Monday Jun 08, 2009
Tai Chi Prevents Disability in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
The ancient Chinese exercise practice of Tai Chi may decrease pain, prevent disability, and improve overall physical health and quality of life for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain...

Thursday Jun 04, 2009
Allopurinol Extends Gout Survival
Gout patients who take allopurinol live longer than those who do not, mostly due to decreased cardiovascular mortality...

Wednesday Jun 03, 2009
DHEA Intensifies Calcium, Vitamin D Effect on BMD
Adding DHEA to calcium and vitamin D significantly increases spine BMD in older women (but not in men) and might be a good thing, provided the women don't have family cancer risk and don't need to pass any sports doping tests...

Thursday May 28, 2009
Primary Care Docs Still Pitching Bed Rest for Low Back Pain
Many primary care physicians are still recommending bed rest and other outdated approaches for low back pain...

Tuesday May 26, 2009
Little Science Behind Most Alternative Raynaud’s Remedies
Many patients with Raynaud's phenomenon try alternatives to conventional care, but a new analysis finds little data to support use of most such approaches...

Wednesday May 20, 2009
X-ray Stability Lags RA Remission by Months
Radiographic joint damage grinds to a halt only after at least 9 months of sustained disease remission...

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...

Monday May 18, 2009
Sham, True Acupuncture Both Help Low Back Pain
Individually tailored acupuncture, standard acupuncture, and a sham procedure involving toothpicks at key points work better than usual care at relieving chronic low back pain...

Friday May 15, 2009
FDA Going Back for Second Look At Menaflex
The US FDA, responding to criticism about the Menaflex approval process, is planning to take another look...

Tuesday May 12, 2009
Obesity, Arthritis Blamed for Disability in Women
Females are at greater risk of obesity and arthritis than their male counterparts and these disabling conditions begin early and can rob women of their quality of life...

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...

Wednesday Apr 29, 2009
Simponi Approved in US for RA, PsA, AS
The US Food and Drug Administration this week joined Canada's drugs agency in approving Simponi (golimumab) for moderate to severe RA, active PsA, and active ankylosing spondylitis...

Tuesday Apr 28, 2009
RA Patients Could Be Hard Hit By Swine Flu
Rheumatologists must be vigilant in looking for signs and symptoms of the swine flu in their immunocompromised patients—including those on TNF-inhibitors...

Monday Apr 27, 2009
Two Big Steps for Lupus Nephritis Research
Genes that encode CXCR4/CXCL12 and kallikrein help determine whether lupus patients will develop kidney damage...

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 Apr 20, 2009
Forteo May Help Mend Non-Healing Fractures
Subcutaneous daily injections of parathyroid hormone (teriparatide, Forteo, Eli Lilly and Co) may help heal painful non-union or delayed union fractures by stimulating bone stem cells...

Thursday Apr 09, 2009
Genentech Pulls Psoriasis Drug Raptiva Due to PML
Roche's Genentech unit will pull the psoriasis drug Raptiva^® (efalizumab) due to PML risk...

Friday Mar 27, 2009
Fablyn^® OK'ed in EU for Osteoporosis, Still on Hold in US
Pfizer-Ligand's Fablyn^® (lasofoxifene) has been approved by European regulators, just months after failing to win FDA approval in the US...

Wednesday Mar 25, 2009
Licorice Reduces Cyclosporine, Raises Methotrexate Levels
Licorice, often used in candies and food flavorings, significantly reduces absorption of cyclosporine, leading to lower than expected blood levels, but prolongs methotrexate clearance...

Friday Mar 20, 2009
"Inner Space" Debris Triggers Joint Implant Failure
Immune reactions to metal debris from joint replacements triggers immune-mediated joint failure...

Thursday Mar 19, 2009
A Little Drink May Be Good for Your Bones
A recent study suggests moderate amounts of beer and wine may have a positive affect on bone health...

Wednesday Mar 04, 2009
Drop of Collagenase Provides Non-Surgical Fix for Dupuytren's Disease
A nonsurgical approach using a drop of collagenase to weaken the tissue cord that causes hand contractures in Dupuytren's disease is headed for FDA review...

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...

Thursday Feb 26, 2009
Pfizer Stops Work on Esreboxetine for FM
Pfizer has stopped development of esreboxetine, which was in phase II trials for fibromyalgia...

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...

Friday Feb 20, 2009
Pain Doctors Aim to Cut Opioid Abuse, Side Effects
A new guideline issued by the American Pain Society (APS) and the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) aims to reduce opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion, and to minimize side effects among patients taking opioids for with chronic non-cancer pain...

Wednesday Feb 18, 2009
Ustekinumab Reduces Psoriatic Arthritis Pain, Clears Lesions
Ustekinumab (CNTO 1275), a new monoclonal antibody that blocks interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 (IL-23), may help thwart the pain, swelling and lesions of psoriatic arthritis...

Tuesday Feb 17, 2009
Some TNF Inhibitors Raise Shingles Risk in RA. Time to Vaccinate?
Anti-TNF monoclonal antibody drugs (adalimumab, infliximab) significantly increase herpes zoster risk in RA patients, and vaccination should be considered. Etanercept was not associated with increased herpes zoster risk...

Monday Feb 16, 2009
FDA Gives Nod to Uloric^® (febuxostat), First New Gout Treatment in 40 Years
The US FDA approved 40 mg and 80 mg doses of Takeda Pharmaceutical's febuxostat (Uloric) for the chronic management of hyperuricemia in patients with gout...

Wednesday Feb 11, 2009
Cementless Hip Replacements: Still Sturdy After 20 Years
Hip replacements done with cementless metal cups can last up to 20 years after revision arthroplasty and even longer when used for primary hip arthroplasty...

Tuesday Feb 10, 2009
Each Osteoporotic Fracture Ups Death Risk
Women and men age 60 years or older who sustain a low-trauma osteoporotic fracture are at an increased risk of dying during the following 5 to 10 years...

Monday Feb 09, 2009
Scans for Back Pain Ineffective
Imaging scans are largely ineffective at locating the source of low back pain, and may do more harm than good…

Wednesday Feb 04, 2009
Anakinra Shows Modest Benefit, Some Risk in RA: Cochrane Review
The IL-1 receptor antagonist Anakinra (Kineret, Amgen) significantly improves rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients but may be less effective than other biologicals...

Monday Feb 02, 2009
Rituximab B-Cell Depletion Stops JIA
Systemic onset JIA responded dramatically to B-cell depletion with rituximab...

Wednesday Jan 28, 2009
Half of Psoriasis Patients Improve With Online Support Groups
Nearly half of psoriasis patients said their health status and disease severity improved after they joined an online psoriasis support group...

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...

Tuesday Jan 20, 2009
Tricyclic Antidepressants Best for Fibromylagia
Some antidepressants can dramatically improve fibromyalgia symptoms...

Monday Jan 12, 2009
Do FDA Statin Ad Rules Make Patients Fear Myopathy?
Statins cause no more muscle problems than placebo, so why do so many patients (and some physicians) worry?...

Tuesday Jan 06, 2009
Forget Knee OA Glucosamine, Orthotics—Lose Weight, AAOS Says
New knee arthritis guidelines from the premier American orthopaedics society say that glucosamine and/or chondroitin, custom-made shoe foot orthotics, and needle lavage are basically useless for the treatment of knee OA, but losing weight helps...

Wednesday Dec 17, 2008
Early RA Shows as MRI Hand Tenosynovitis
MRI readily detects early arthritis as flexor tenosynovitis...

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...

Monday Dec 08, 2008
Say Goodbye to Plantar Fasciitis After 15-Minute Treatment
Combining an ultrasound-guided dry needling technique with steroid injection is 95% effective at relieving plantar fasciitis within 3 weeks...

Monday Dec 08, 2008
Medtronic Challenges Lawsuit Over Spinal Implant
The family of a woman who died after having neck surgery with Infuse Bone Graft is suing Medtronic, the maker of the spinal implant, for promoting off-label use of their device...

Wednesday Dec 03, 2008
Data from KANON Patients Blow Hole in ACL Repair
Surgical reconstruction was not better than training alone for restoring muscle strength and function after ACL injury…

Monday Nov 24, 2008
Scleroderma Stem Cell Transplants Advance, Phase III Studies Recruiting Patients
Pilot data on systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients treated with autologous stem cell transplants suggest durable improvements in skin thickening and lung function. Phase III randomized trials are still open to enrollment...

Monday Nov 24, 2008
New OA Topicals Ease Pain, Protect Stomach
New topical NSAID formulations relieve OA pain without the GI problems associated with oral NSAIDs...

Thursday Nov 20, 2008
BioLineRx, Yissum Sign a Licensing Agreement for the Development of an Anti-Leptin Compound for the Treatment of IBD
BioLineRx signed an exclusive license agreement with Yissum Ltd to develop and commercialize BL-5040, an antagonist of leptin with anti-inflammatory properties for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)...

Tuesday Nov 18, 2008
Centocor's Golimumab Gives Durable Skin, Joint Relief in Psoriatic Arthritis, ACR Studies Say
More than half of active psoriatic arthritis patients receiving subcutaneous injections of 50 mg or 100 mg of golimumab (CNTO 148) every 4 weeks showed improvements that lasted through 1 year in the joint and skin symptoms...

Monday Nov 17, 2008
Vitamin D Levels Linked to OA Cartilage Loss, OA Pain, and SSc Disease Activity by ACR Researchers
Low vitamin D levels are associated with faster progression of joint damage, bone loss, and pain in OA and with higher levels of inflammatory markers and vascular complications in systemic sclerosis, suggesting that more attention to vitamin D supplements might be in order...

Thursday Nov 13, 2008
Il-6 Blockade Helps Move RA Patients TOWARD Remission
Interleukin-6 blockade with tocilizumab (Actemra^®), when combined with conventional DMARDs, safely and effectively reduces rheumatoid arthritis joint and systemic symptoms in  patients were not helped by DMARDs alone...

Thursday Nov 13, 2008
Parathyroid Hormone Patch May Increase BMD and Adherence
A new patch that delivers parathyroid hormone (PTH) may increase spine and hip BMD and avoid some of the compliance issues seen with subcutaneous daily injections of PTH…

Wednesday Nov 12, 2008
Pegloticase Offers Hope to Patients With Worst Types of Gout
Pegloticase (Puricase^®, Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) performed well in two Phase III studies...

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...

Wednesday Nov 05, 2008
Study Establishes Safety of Long-Term Juvenile Arthritis Treatments
Three-year data reported at ACR show that long-term etanercept, with or without MTX, is safe and effective in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis...

Tuesday Nov 04, 2008
Genentech, Biogen Idec Rituxan Phase III Data in RA Patients Showed Patients who Received Fixed Interval Re-Treatment Maintained Treatment Response; Positive Phase III Data Also Reported for Rituxan plus MTX in Biologic-Naïve RA Patients, Immune Response in Rituxan-Treated Patients Yielded Mixed Results in Phase II Study
Rituxan, in combination with MTX, is indicated to reduce signs and symptoms and to slow the progression of structural damage in adult patients with moderately-to-severely active RA who have had an inadequate response to one or more TNF antagonist therapies...

Monday Nov 03, 2008
Tanezumab Reduces Moderate-Severe OA Pain in Phase II Trial
The nerve-growth-factor blocker tanezumab given once every 8 weeks significantly reduced knee OA pain in a phase 2 trial...

Thursday Oct 30, 2008
Abatacept Helps Kids With Arthritis Stay in School
Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with abatacept (Orencia^®) missed fewer school days than those who received placebo...

Thursday Oct 30, 2008
Old Malaria Drug Reduces Diabetes Risk in RA, Protects Kidneys in Lupus
The inexpensive old drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) shows remarkable protective ability against diabetes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and against renal disease in patients with lupus...

Tuesday Oct 28, 2008
Rheumatology Experts Say Stopping Smoking May Cut RA Pain, Disease Activity
Researchers at two major medical meetings are highlighting the role smoking plays in chronic pain and disease activity in RA...

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...

Monday Oct 27, 2008
Tai Chi Rx for Knee OA
Tai chi may help treat pain and physical impairment among patients with severe knee osteoarthritis…

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…

Wednesday Oct 22, 2008
Biogen Idec Reports Top-Line Results From Phase II Clinical Trial of Baminercept in RA; Will Discontinue Development in RA
The phase II trial of baminercept in RA patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy with a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug did not meet its primary endpoint...

Monday Oct 20, 2008
Gleevec/CYC Combo Emerging as Novel Approach for Scleroderma Lung Disease
Adding the oncology drug imatinib (Gleevec^®) to cyclophosphamide offers a 2-pronged strategy that might be effective in scleroderma-associated pulmonary complications...

Thursday Oct 16, 2008
The Scan That Didn’t Scan
Both doctors and patients rely heavily on findings from MRI scans, but the quality of MRI can be erratic and not always reliable…

Wednesday Oct 15, 2008
Genentech Issues Dear Healthcare Provider Letter Regarding Case of PML in a Psoriasis Patient Under Long-Term Treatment With Raptiva^®
The 70-year old patient had received Raptiva^® (efalizumab) for >4 years to treat chronic plaque psoriasis before being diagnosed with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy...

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…

Tuesday Oct 14, 2008
Antipsychotics for Acute and Chronic Pain in Adults
Antipsychotics may be useful as an add-on therapy for the treatment of chronic and acute pain, but potential side effects should be taken into consideration before prescribing...

Tuesday Oct 07, 2008
Discovery Of New Genes Linked To Gout
Two new genes have been identified and associated with increased risk of elevated uric acid levels in the blood, which can lead to gout…

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...

Tuesday Sep 30, 2008
Microscopic Version of the CT Scan Reveals Secrets of Bone Formation
A new version of the CT scan offers insight on how bones, shells, and other animal structures are formed, which may give researchers a better understanding of bone loss and how to combat it…

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…

Monday Sep 29, 2008
Pegloticase May be Just What the Rheumatologist Ordered for Treatment-Resistant Gout
Treatment-resistant gout may have finally met its match with a new, urate-lowering drug...

Tuesday Sep 23, 2008
Out of Joint
A unique application of MRI technology may be able to provide a non-invasive early diagnosis of osteoarthritis...

Friday Sep 19, 2008
Axial Biotech Initiates Clinical Field Test for ScoliScore™ AIS Prognostic Test
The ScoliScore™ AIS Prognostic Test can determine whether a child has a mild or more severe likelihood of curve progression, at the first presentation of symptoms...

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...

Monday Sep 15, 2008
ACR REF Clinical and Translational Research Grants Target Better Ways to Monitor Response to Arthritis Care, Genetics, Heart and Bone Health in RA Patients
Six major grants from the ACR Research and Education Foundation show the growing importance of finding better ways to monitor response to (often expensive) RA care, decoding the genetic underpinnings of arthritis, and protecting arthritis patients’ hearts and bones in long-term care...

Friday Sep 12, 2008
Breaking News: FDA Warns About Fatal PML in RA Patient Taking Rituxan^®
FDA issued a MedWatch warning reporting the first fatal PML case in a patient taking Rituxan for RA...

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...

Monday Sep 08, 2008
ACR Research and Education Foundation Grants Point to New Arthritis Research
New REF grants target RA immunotherapy, inflammation, bone erosions, PAD inhibition...

Thursday Sep 04, 2008
Omeros Enters Into Agreement With Affitech for Anti-inflammatory Therapeutics, Awaits Phase III Clinical Trial Results for Agent
Omeros Corp and Affitech AS have entered into an agreement for the discovery and development of fully human antibodies for Omeros’ MASP-2, which mediates activation of the complement system via the lectin pathway...

Thursday Sep 04, 2008
Scientists Discover How Osteoarthritis Destroys Cartilage
New discovery may lead to preventive treatment for osteoarthritis…

Wednesday Sep 03, 2008
Out-of-Pocket Arthritis Costs Rising Despite Medicare Drug Benefit
Out-of-pocket medical costs for Medicare-age adults were brought close to 2003 levels by the new Medicare Part D drug benefit, but high OTC and prescription costs continue to be an issue...

Tuesday Sep 02, 2008
Naproxcinod Moves Ahead in Pivotal Phase III Study in Osteoarthritis
The next generation of COX inhibitors is likely to include the nitric oxide-donating CINODs, the first of which (naproxcinod) is in phase III trials...

Thursday Aug 28, 2008
Mesoblast Reports Preclinical Study Shows Allogeneic Stem Cells in Ewes are Safe, Effective for Cervical Spine Fusion; Therapy May Receive Boost From US FDA’s Recent Alert of Life-Threatening Complications Associated With rhBMP in Cervical Spine Fusions
Mesoblast is currently in phase II clinical trials for fusion of the lumbar spine and, based on these new results, will extend its market opportunity to cover the entire spectrum of spinal fusion. Subject to FDA approval, Mesoblast's therapy will eliminate the need for autograft...

Wednesday Aug 27, 2008
Researchers Home in On Role of TNF in RA Bone Destruction
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) decreases osteoblast numbers via an enzyme called Smad Ubiquitin Regulatory Factor 1 (SMURF1), which shuts down two proteins that would otherwise drive bone formation…

Monday Aug 25, 2008
Annals of Internal Medicine Study Says Merck ADVANTAGE Trial Was Marketing Dressed Up as Science
New findings based on internal Merck records disclosed during litigation show that ADVANTAGE (Assessment of Differences between Vioxx and Naproxen To Ascertain Gastrointestinal Tolerability and Effectiveness) was actually a seeding trial designed to support a marketing campaign before Vioxx’s launch…

Friday Aug 22, 2008
While Olympians Chase Medals, Chicken Collagen Advances as RA Immunotherapy
Inducing oral tolerance with chicken type II collagen (CCII) may help alleviate the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with fewer side effects than methotrexate (MTX), Chinese researchers say…

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...

Thursday Aug 14, 2008
Are More Vioxx-Like Drug Catastrophes Inevitable?
Sociologist predicts growing numbers of drug safety disasters because of fatal flaws in the way new drugs are tested and marketed…

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…

Monday Aug 04, 2008
Manhattan Pharmaceuticals Reports Phase IIa Results of PTH (1-34) for Psoriasis; Cream is Well Tolerated but No Significant Improvement in Treated Lesions Compared With Vehicle
Data from from the phase IIa clinical study of a reformulated topical PTH (1-34) for the treatment of psoriasis did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in the overall disease severity of treatment lesions or signs and symptoms of psoriasis compared with vehicle gel...

Wednesday Jul 30, 2008
As Doctors Cater to Looks, Skin Patients Wait
Dermatology is becoming a two-tier business in which cosmetic patients, who are generally seeking more expensive procedures, are given preferential treatment to medical patients…

Tuesday Jul 22, 2008
Ardea Biosciences Advances RDEA806 Into Phase IIa Proof-of-Concept Study for Gout
Ardea Biosciences has received regulatory approval to begin a phase IIa proof-of-concept clinical trial evaluating RDEA806 in gout patients with hyperuricemia...

Monday Jul 21, 2008
Congress Overrides Bush Veto of Medicare Bill, Stops Doc Fee Cuts, Requires Electronic Rx
Congress voted July 15 to override President George W. Bush's veto of the new Medicare bill, which now becomes law without his signature, stops a scheduled cut in fees paid to doctors, pushes hard for electronic prescribing, adds more drugs to the Medicare approved list, and dramatically changes Medicare payments for mental health services…

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...

Wednesday Jul 09, 2008
Lasting Leukemia Risk for AS Patients Treated With Now Banned 224Radium (SpondylAT^®)
AS patients who were treated with repeated intravenous injections of 224Radium (SpondylAT^®) are at increased risk for developing leukemia…

Tuesday Jul 08, 2008
Rheumatologists Can Expect to See More HIV-Related Joint Problems as Mortality Drops
Mortality in HIV-infected patients has dropped comparable with general population levels, especially in those who begin highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) early, and one result is that rheumatologists can expect to see more long-term HIV survivors with joint problems related to the underlying HIV, treatment, or aging...

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)…

Thursday Jul 03, 2008
Small Protein May Have Big Role In Making More Bone And Less Fat
The protein GILZ may be the key to developing therapies to fight both obesity and osteoporosis…

Wednesday Jul 02, 2008
Bush Administration Freezes Medicare Fee Cuts
DHHS has temporarily frozen the 10.6% Medicare fee cut that had been set to take effect after July 1...

Tuesday Jul 01, 2008
Dermatologists Say Lupus Patients Need More Devotion to Sunscreen
Physicians need to step up their efforts to convince lupus patients to protect themselves from the sun…

Tuesday Jul 01, 2008
Fibromyalgia and Cognition
Some fibromyalgia patients suffer from cognitive problems that mimic roughly 20 years of aging…

Monday Jun 30, 2008
Preclinical Studies Show that IGF-1-Producing Adult Stem Cells Zoom to Fracture Site, Speed Healing
Preclinical data reported at the 2008 ENDO meeting show that adult stem cell injections might be one approach to treating nonhealing osteoporotic fractures...

Thursday Jun 26, 2008
Otsuka, UCB to Codevelop and Copromote Cimzia^® in Japan for Crohn's Disease
UCB and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals have agreed to copromote UCB's anti-TNFα drug Cimzia^® for the treatment of Crohn's Disease in Japan, the second largest pharmaceutical market in the world...

Thursday Jun 26, 2008
New ACR Guidelines Help Clinicians Incorporate Biologics Into RA Treatment Plans
The new American College of Rheumatology guidelines help rheumatologists to choose the right drugs and to monitor RA patients for untoward effects, but the guidelines should not replace sound clinical judgment…

Tuesday Jun 24, 2008
Nearly Half of Undifferentiated Arthritis Patients Can Achieve Drug-Free Remission After 1 Year of MTX
The chance of achieving drug-free arthritis remission after 1 year of MTX therapy is 46% and is predicted by a negative ACPA status, no or low radiographic damage at baseline, increased age, and shorter disease duration…

Monday Jun 23, 2008
Lilly, TransPharma Ink Licensing and Development Agreement for Transdermal PTH Program for Osteoporosis
Eli Lilly and TransPharma have entered into a licensing and development agreement for ViaDerm, an agent for the treatment of osteoporosis. Phase II clinical testing of the agent is currently underway...

Wednesday Jun 18, 2008
Anti-TNF Gene Therapy Appears Safe, May Reduce Pain, Swelling in RA Joints
Researchers report that transferring a TNF-antagonist gene into the joint is safe, may reduce pain and swelling in patients with inflammatory arthritis...

Monday Jun 16, 2008
Phase III Data Show Golimumab Efficacy in MTX-Resistant, TNF-Pretreated, Untreated RA
Data from the phase III GO-FORWARD and GO-BEFORE studies show that subcutaneous golimumab improves symptoms, function in RA patients after MTX, anti-TNF failure...

Thursday Jun 12, 2008
Increased Melanoma Risk Seen in RA Patients Taking MTX
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients taking methotrexate (MTX) may be at a 3-fold increased risk for developing potentially fatal melanoma…

Wednesday Jun 11, 2008
How to Tell If an RA Patient is Likely to Achieve DMARD-Free Remission Without Biologics
A number of factors identify rheumatoid arthritis patients whose disease is likely to respond to conventional DMARD treatment with sustained, drug-free remission...

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)…

Friday May 30, 2008
Rituximab May Be First Choice Biologic for Some RA Patients
Rituximab may be a reasonable first-line biologic choice for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who are not candidates for tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) blockers…

Wednesday May 28, 2008
Smokers With RA Use More DMARDs, Biologics, but Don't Have Worse Joint Damage
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who smoke are likely to use more DMARDs or biologics than nonsmokers and are less likely to achieve ACR response, but they do not have worse joint damage...

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

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...

Wednesday May 14, 2008
8-Year Data Confirm Etanercept Safety, Efficacy in Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Long-term open-label data show that etanercept (Enbrel^®) is safe and effective over 8 years of continuous treatment of children with JRA...

Tuesday May 13, 2008
Incidence and Prevalence of Psoriatic Arthritis
Researchers found geographic variations in the occurrence of PsA, but methodological issues make interpreting epidemiologic data difficult…

Thursday May 08, 2008
More Evidence that Walking Barefoot is Better for Arthritic Knees Than Wearing Shoes
Shoes increase stress on knee joints compared with walking barefoot and might contribute to progression of osteoarthritis...

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…

Friday May 02, 2008
Icelandic and British Researchers ID Five New Osteoporosis Genes
New research spotlighting five genetic loci associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures may provide insight into the biochemical pathways that underlie osteoporosis…

Thursday May 01, 2008
Genentech, Biogen Idec Report Phase II/III Trial of Rituxan^® Fails to Meet Primary or Secondary Endpoints in Lupus
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase II/III study of Rituxan^® (rituximab) for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) did not meet its primary endpoint or any of the six secondary endpoints...

Wednesday Apr 30, 2008
Grim Picture Painted for Lupus 5-Year Mortality Risk
Despite some advances in treatment, recently diagnosed lupus patients still face elevated risks of death within 5 years of their diagnosis when compared with lupus-free controls…

Tuesday Apr 29, 2008
Alendronate Linked to Atrial Fibrillation
A case-control study reports that women who have used alendronate are nearly twice as likely to develop atrial fibrillation as those who have never used bisphosphonates...

Thursday Apr 24, 2008
Pain as an Art Form
Frustrated by the inadequacy of words, chronic pain sufferers often turn to art to illustrate the pain they feel…

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...

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
Granuloma Annulare Induced by Antitumor Necrosis Factor Therapy
Researchers found evidence of a link between TNF inhibition and the development of granuloma annulare skin lesions in some patients…

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...

Monday Apr 14, 2008
Orencia Gets FDA Okay for JIA
Pediatric rheumatologists gained a new tool for use in treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) with the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Orencia^® (abatacept)...

Tuesday Apr 08, 2008
Does Physical Therapy Still Have a Place in the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis?
Researchers believe that pharmacological advancements in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis do not replace traditional physical therapy programs…

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…

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^®...

Thursday Mar 20, 2008
Pain Relief for Osteoporosis Patients With Fractures
Vertobroplasty provides significant pain relief for osteoporosis patients with spinal fractures…

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…

Tuesday Mar 18, 2008
'Boot Camps' Treat Pain Sufferers
An intensive 4-week program works to alleviate chronic pain through biological, psychological, and social approaches…

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...

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...

Thursday Mar 06, 2008
Infliximab Shifts Neutrophil Fc Receptors Away From Inflammation in RA
Blocking TNFα shifts neutrophil FcγR away from types associated with easy immune activation in RA patients...

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...

Monday Mar 03, 2008
Fibromyalgia Patients With CDIP May Benefit From IVIg Therapy
Fibromyalgia (FM) patients with evidence of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) may benefit from treatment with intravenous immunoglubulin...

Thursday Feb 28, 2008
Antitumor Necrosis Factor-α Therapy and Potential Cancer Inhibition
Anti-TNFα therapy may reduce the risk of neoplasia in patients being treated for chronic inflammation...

Tuesday Feb 26, 2008
ADHD Drugs Linked to Raynaud's Syndrome in Children
CNS stimulants used to treat ADHD have been linked to development of Raynaud's syndrome in children...

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...

Wednesday Feb 20, 2008
Pfizer Gains Worldwide Exclusive License From Scil Technology for CD-RAP, a Novel Cartilage Growth Factor, in OA
Pfizer Inc and Scil Technology GmbH have signed a worldwide license agreement for Scil Technology's cartilage specific growth factor CD-RAP (cartilage-derived retinoic-acid-sensitive protein)...

Tuesday Feb 19, 2008
Sensitivity to Implant Materials in Patients With Total Knee Arthroplasties
Total knee arthroplasty patients may experience increased sensitization, which can negatively impact the outcome of the implant...

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...

Tuesday Feb 19, 2008
Duloxetine, Milnacipran Studies in Fibromyalgia Reported
Duloxetine (Lilly's Cymbalta®) and milnacipran (Cypress Bioscience's Ixel®) studies report promising but mixed results...

Wednesday Feb 13, 2008
65% More Spent on Spine Problems Bought Little Relief, JAMA Study Says
Spine-related expenditures jumped 65% from 1997 to 2005, but bought little improvement in patients' health status...

Monday Feb 11, 2008
Half of RA Patients in Europe Forced to Retire Early; Increasing Healthcare Costs
As many as half of all rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are forced into early retirement and must apply for disability within 10 years of disease onset; adding to the extremely high societal and economic costs of RA...

Monday Feb 04, 2008
Cochrane Review: Alendronate Safe, Effective for Secondary Fracture Prevention
Alendronate can stave off vertebral, nonvertebral, hip, and wrist fractures among postmenopausal women with low bone density and/or those with previous fractures...

Thursday Jan 31, 2008
Single Face-to-Face Patient Ed Session Helps Acute, But Not Chronic, Back Pain Patients Return to Work Sooner
A single 2.5 hour individual patient education session given by a trained healthcare specialist can hasten the return to work for patients with acute or subacute low back pain (LBP), but does not have a similar effect on chronic LBP...

Thursday Jan 31, 2008
Financial Ties Are Cited as Issue in Spine Study
Many of the spine surgeons who hailed the Prodisc® as a medical breakthrough had a financial interest in the new product…

Wednesday Jan 30, 2008
Smoking Linked to Rheumatoid Nodules, High IgA-RF Levels in African Americans
African Americans with RA who smoke are more likely to have rheumatoid nodules and high IgA-RF levels; the risk is greatest for those who have >20-pack-years of exposure...

Tuesday Jan 29, 2008
Newer Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs Lower Production of B Cells
New findings suggest that drugs such as Enbrel®, Humira®, and Remicade® reduce activity of abnormal B-cells, benefiting the patient's immune system...

Monday Jan 28, 2008
Genentech, Biogen Idec, Roche Report Rituxan® (rituximab, MabThera®) Phase III Trial Meets Study Endpoints in RA; Use as First-Line Biologic Therapy Improves Symptoms 
Genentech, Inc, Biogen Idec, and Roche Pharmaceuticals announced that a pivotal phase III study of rituximab (Rituxan®) met its primary endpoint of greater proportion of biologic-naïve RA patients achieving ACR20 response at week 24, compared with placebo...

Friday Jan 25, 2008
Do Calcium Supplements Help Bones at the Expense of the Heart?
Calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in healthy postmenopausal women...

Friday Jan 25, 2008
Low Serum Testosterone Predicts Fracture Risk in Older Men
Men with serum testosterone <294 ng/dL have a significantly increased risk of nontraumatic fracture and should be referred for bone density assessment...

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...

Wednesday Jan 23, 2008
Abbott's Humira® Approved in US for Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Chronic Plaque Psoriasis
Abbott Laboratories announced it has received US FDA approval to market Humira® (adalimumab) for adults with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis...

Tuesday Jan 22, 2008
Four Research Groups Report New Lupus Genes
A major international collaborative that includes European and North American lupus researchers, government agencies, research foundations, and industry has discovered four new lupus-related genes and may increase interest in the B-cell-receptor signaling pathway and in inflammatory cell adhesion as potential therapeutic targets...

Tuesday Jan 22, 2008
New Jersey Investigating Amgen's Marketing of a Psoriasis Drug
New Jersey's attorney general is investigating biotechnology company Amgen Inc over possible patient confidentiality law violations in their efforts to sell Enbrel®â€¦

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...

Thursday Jan 17, 2008
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Growing use of CT scans is causing concern about radiation exposure...

Wednesday Jan 16, 2008
Etanercept Clears Plaque Psoriasis in Children and Adolescents
Etanercept (Enbrel®) safely reduces disease severity in children and adolescents with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and improvements are evident as early as the second week of therapy...

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...

Monday Jan 07, 2008
Abbott's Humira® Approved in the EU for Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis
Abbott announced it has received marketing authorization from the European Commission for the use of the TNF antagonist Humira® (adalimumab) as a treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Humira is the first fully human, self-injectable biologic for the treatment of psoriasis...

Thursday Jan 03, 2008
Practice Tips: Using Color or Power Doppler Ultrasound in Rheumatology
Danish researchers have proposed settings for Doppler ultrasound (US) designed to improve detection of inflammation, visualized as hyperemia in locations such as the synovial membrane...

Thursday Jan 03, 2008
Step-Down Therapy With Steroids is Feasible and Effective in Early RA
Step-down therapy for early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) including oral prednisolone is not just feasible in daily practice, it is also more effective than a step-up regimen...

Wednesday Jan 02, 2008
Experts Question Use of TNF Blockers for Sciatica Caused by Disc Herniation
The jury is still out on whether TNF-blockers have a role in treating sciatica induced by disc herniation...

Thursday Dec 20, 2007
OARSI Researchers Further Refine Matrix-Associated Cartilage Repair Techniques
Matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation continues to improve as a way of repairing arthritis knees, and MRI can be used to check the quality of the repaired tissue...

Thursday Dec 20, 2007
RA Patients Have Doubled Risk of Shingles, and Many RA Drugs Increase Risk Even More

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients show a two-fold increased risk for herpes zoster (shingles) compared with their counterparts without RA, and the most commonly used RA drugs increase the risk even more...

Thursday Dec 20, 2007
New EULAR Recommendations on Systemic Glucocorticoids Stress Monitoring for Adverse Events
EULAR has issued new evidence-based recommendations on the management of systemic glucocorticoid therapy in rheumatic diseases...

Thursday Dec 13, 2007
Pediatric Arthritis Causes 827,000 Physician Visits Per Year
Over 290,000 children suffer from pediatric arthritis or other serious rheumatologic conditions and require an average of 827,000 ambulatory healthcare visits per year, which places a significant burden on the health care system...

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
Ferring's Euflexxaâ„¢ (1% sodium hyaluronate) is Effective in Treating Knee OA and Reduces Pain that Interferes with ADLs; Shows Equal Effectiveness in Disease Stages Two and Three
Ferring Pharmaceuticals announced the results of two clinical studies on the efficacy of Euflexxaâ„¢, an intra-articular hyaluronic acid (IA-HA) for the relief of pain in knee osteoarthritis (OA)...

Tuesday Dec 11, 2007
Identification of Two New Ankylosing Spondylitis Genes Suggest Novel Therapeutic Targets
Genome scans have identified two of the suspected handful of non-MHC genes that appear to collaborate with HLA-B27 in "turning on" disease processes that result in ankylosing spondylitis and other seronegative arthropathies...

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?...

Monday Dec 03, 2007
Low Vitamin D Linked to Knee OA Pain, Difficulty Walking
Vitamin D-deficient knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients are more likely to have higher levels of pain and three times more likely to report difficulty walking, compared with their counterparts with higher blood levels of this vitamin...

Thursday Nov 29, 2007
Osiris Announces Clinically and Statistically Significant 1-Year Data From Phase I/II Trial of Chondrogenâ„¢; OA Knee Patients Receive Single Injection of Adult Stem Cells Into Knee
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc, a leading stem cell therapeutic company, announced positive 1-year interim results in the evaluation of Chondrogenâ„¢, a preparation of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors and formulated for direct injection into the knee...

Thursday Nov 29, 2007
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
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...

Wednesday Nov 21, 2007
Researchers "Shocked" at Enbrel's Efficacy in JRA
Etanercept (Enbrel®) is safe and effective in the long-term treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), according to new 8-year outcome data...

Tuesday Nov 20, 2007
Abbott's Humira® Receives Positive Opinion From EMEA for Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis 
Abbott Laboratories announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), granted Abbott a positive opinion recommending approval of Humira® (adalimumab) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis...

Monday Nov 19, 2007
TNF-Blocker Plus MTX Slashes Heart Risk in RA
Combination therapy with a TNF-inhibitor plus MTX slashes heart attack risk by 80% in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients...

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...

Wednesday Nov 14, 2007
Fish Oil May Improve Symptoms and Endothelial Function in SLE
Omega-3 fish oil may reduce lupus disease activity and improve endothelial function...

Tuesday Nov 13, 2007
Single Botulinum Toxin Injection Smooths Out OA Shoulder Pain

A single intra-articular injection of botulinum toxin type A relieved shoulder pain for a month in patients with refractory OA...

Tuesday Nov 13, 2007
Anti-IL-12/23 Monoclonal Produces Dramatic Results in Psoriatic Arthritis
The anti-IL-12/23 monoclonal antibody ustekinumab produced dramatic, durable improvements in psoriatic arthritis, according to phase II data reported at the American College of Rheumatology...

Monday Nov 12, 2007
Rheumatologists Need to Be More Shoe Savvy
Clogs and stability shoes are good for the feet but not the knees of patients with knee OA...

Monday Nov 12, 2007
Rheumatologists Optimistic About IL-6 Blocker Tocilizumab
The interleukin-6 (IL-6) blocker tocilizumab is safe, effective, and improves quality of life for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients...

Saturday Nov 10, 2007
More Fallout From the COX-2 Debacle: Increasing Rates of Serious GI Complications

Physicians need to be more vigilant about prescribing proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to their arthritis patients who take traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), because the number of serious gastrointestinal complications is on the rise since the COX-2 drugs fell from grace...

Friday Nov 09, 2007
RA Increases Stroke Risk Nearly as Much as Does Hypertension
RA is an independent risk factor for stroke and increases stroke risk nearly as much as having hypertension...

Friday Nov 09, 2007
Breaking News: Merck Tosses in Towel on Vioxx Settlements
After years of promising to fight each individual lawsuit brought by former users of Vioxx, Merck has agreed to settle 27,000 cases...

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...

Tuesday Nov 06, 2007
Flu Shots Work for Patients on TNF-Inhibitors
TNF inhibitors reduce response to influenza vaccination, but about 80% of RA patients still develop protective titers after a single vaccine dose...

Monday Nov 05, 2007
Manhattan Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase IIa Study of Topical PTH (1-34) for Psoriasis
Manhattan Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a pharmaceutical company that acquires and develops drug candidates primarily for the treatment of dermatologic and immunologic disorders, announced that the first patient has received the initial dose of topical PTH (1-34) in a US multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, parallel group, phase IIa psoriasis study...

Thursday Nov 01, 2007
Few Remissions From Switching to Other DMARDs After MTX Failure
If initial MTX fails to produce remission in RA, adding or switching to other conventional DMARDs is also unlikely to produce remissions...

Wednesday Oct 31, 2007
BREAKING NEWS: FDA Heightens Warning About Miscarriage, Birth Defects With Drug Used Off-Label for Lupus Nephritis

FDA has raised the warning level for mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) from Category C to Category D (positive evidence of fetal risk)...

Thursday Oct 25, 2007
Prostate Cancer Doubles Fracture Risk
Men with prostate cancer treated with orchidectomy or androgen deprivation are at increased risk for fractures, particularly of the hip, and should have bone density evaluated regularly...

Thursday Oct 25, 2007
Systematic Review: Few Signs of Tai Chi Efficacy in RA 
Tai chi exercise is often recommended for patients with arthritis, including RA, but a systematic review finds little evidence that it is effective...

Wednesday Oct 24, 2007
PPIs Cost-Effective for Elderly Taking NSAIDs, VA Study Shows
Routine use of PPIs would be cost-effective for elderly NSAID users...

Tuesday Oct 23, 2007
Patients Do Not Report NSAID Use
Fully 18% of patients who use NSAIDs do not report them to clinicians...

Wednesday Oct 17, 2007
Acupuncture Cuts Postop Pain, Opioid Use
Acupuncture should be considered an option for postop pain control among patients after orthopaedic surgery...

Tuesday Oct 16, 2007
Combination Therapy is Better for RA Patients Who Partially Responded to Long-term Monotherapy
Many RA patients who have partial responses to long-term etanercept or methotrexate monotherapy can be put into remission by combining these drugs...

Thursday Oct 11, 2007
Review Rejects "Chronic Lyme Disease" Diagnosis, Extended IV Antibiotics
A major review challenges "chronic Lyme disease" as a valid diagnosis and warns against extended use of IV antibiotics...

Tuesday Oct 09, 2007
TNF Inhibitors Not Better Than DMARDs for Cardiac Protection in RA
TNF inhibitors are not better than traditional DMARDs at preventing MI in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, but lower heart attack rates in those who respond to TNF-blockers support the hypothesis that inflammation plays a role in the increased MI risk associated with RA...

Thursday Oct 04, 2007
New Low Back Pain Guidelines Discourage Routine Imaging or Rest for Most Patients
New clinical guidelines for low back pain (LBP) discourage routine imaging in nonspecific LBP, set criteria for diagnostic imaging including MRI, recommend NSAIDs or acetaminophin as first-line drugs, urge the addition of nondrug therapy in difficult cases, and tell physicians to keep patients moving...

Wednesday Oct 03, 2007
First Case Reported of Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus Induced by Sex Reassignment Surgery
Environmental triggers contribute to lupus pathogenesis, and the hormone regimens used in male-to-female sex reassignment can induce lupus-like symptoms...

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...

Wednesday Sep 26, 2007
 Wanted: Lupus Patients for Clinical Trials
The lupus therapeutic landscape is changing slowly but dramatically, and more patients are needed to help speed the development of new drugs…

Monday Sep 24, 2007
Risk of Infection in TNF-Inhibitor Treatment May Be Higher Than Thought

A new analysis of data from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register suggests that the risk of serious infection is increased during certain phases of TNF-inhibitor treatment...

Wednesday Sep 19, 2007
Anticytokine Shots May Aid Healing Following Knee Injuries
Shooting TNF inhibitors or IL-1 blockers directly into the joint may help promote healing following meniscal tears…McNulty AL, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:doi:10.1002/art [Epub ahead of print].

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
Autoantibodies Associated With Lupus Can Be Removed by Plasmapheresis
Antibodies against the VRT101 laminin epitope correlate with SLE disease activity and can be removed by extracorporeal immunoadsorption...Amital H, et al. Rheumatology. 2007; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kem181 [Epub ahead of print].

Thursday Sep 13, 2007
Hormone Therapy Does Not Worsen Lupus But May Increase Thrombosis Risk
Menopause hormonal therapy does not worsen lupus disease activity or trigger disease flares but may add to an already high risk of thrombosis in women with SLE...

Monday Sep 10, 2007
Jury Out on Whether Surgical Repair of ACL Tears Staves Off OA

Little convincing evidence supports surgical repair of the anterior cruciate ligament or meniscus as a way of preventing OA, but the problem may lie in the way the studies have been done, not in the surgery…Lohmander LS, et al. Am J Sports Med. 2007 Aug 29; doi: 10.1177/0363546507307396 [Epub ahead of print].

Thursday Sep 06, 2007
Knee Monoarthritis May Be a Harbinger of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Mild-to-moderate knee monoarthritis may be an early warning sign of non-small-cell lung cancer in heavy smokers...

Wednesday Sep 05, 2007
Rheumatologists Asked to Take Lead in Reducing Cardiovascular Risk in RA Patients
The chronic inflammation that characterizes many rheumatoid diseases is thought to be one cause of the higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) that afflicts these patients. Experts say not enough is being done to educate patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) about the importance of early CV protection, and that early education is critical—before clinically apparent CVD is detectable...van Leuven SI, et al. Rheumatology. 2007; rheumatology/kem202 [Epub ahead of print]; John H, et al. Rheumatology. 2007; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kem176 [Epub ahead of print].

Friday Aug 31, 2007
TNF Inhibitors Raise Risk for Skin Cancers But Not Other Malignancies
The final report from a large observational study of more than 13,000 patients clears TNF inhibitors of increasing the incidence of solid tumors or lymphomas but finds that TNF-inhibitor treatment is associated with a significant increase in melanomas and other skin cancers…Wolfe F, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2886-2895.

Tuesday Aug 28, 2007
Systematic Review Finds No Benefit From Selenium or Vitamins A, C in Arthritis; Raises Methodological Questions About Studies Showing Benefit From Vitamin E
Antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, sometimes combined with selenium, have been widely touted as beneficial for the treatment of arthritis, but a systematic review finds little convincing evidence of efficacy...

Tuesday Aug 28, 2007
New Zealand Regulatory Authority, Medsafe, Revokes Consents for Prexige® 200 mg and 400 mg Tablets; Novartis Issues Recall Notice 
The Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority, Medsafe, has revoked the consents allowing the supply in New Zealand of the COX-2 anti-inflammatory medicine Prexige (lumiracoxib) 200 mg and 400 mg tablets on the grounds that the tablets can no longer be administered or used safely for the purposes indicated in the regulatory application for consent...

Tuesday Aug 28, 2007
Interleukin Genetics Collaborates With NYU Medical Center to Evaluate Genetic Patterns Associated With IL-1β Overproduction and Development of Polyarticular OA
Interleukin Genetics, a genetics-focused personalized health company, announced today that it has initiated a study on the genetics of osteoarthritis (OA) in collaboration with the Hospital for Joint Diseases of New York University Medical Center...

Monday Aug 27, 2007
Harkness Dance Medicine Head Urges Clinicians to Prepare for the "High School Musical 2" Generation

Musicals are back, dance classes are filled, clinicians are facing more dancers or former dancers with musculoskeletal problems, and dance medicine experts are urging clinicians to heed the beat of dancing feet...

Monday Aug 20, 2007
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...

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 15, 2007
Successful Gout Treatment Requires Up To 33 Months to Clear Urate Crystals From Joint Fluid
Reduction of serum uric acid levels eventually clears urate crystals from the synovial fluid in patients with gout, but this may require up to 33 months of treatment in some cases...Pascual E, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2007;66:1056-1058.

Monday Aug 13, 2007
Can B-Cell Depletion With Rituximab Trigger Psoriasis?
New case studies linking rituximab therapy for RA and SLE with new-onset psoriasis may call for caution on the ever-expanding use of the B-cell depleting drug...Dass S, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2715-2718.

Monday Aug 13, 2007
Hydroxychloroquine May Stave Off Lupus Onset
A provocative study suggests that giving hydroxychloroquine to lupus patients at the first symptom may delay or even prevent the development of full-blown SLE…James J, et al. Lupus. 2007;16:401-409.

Thursday Aug 09, 2007
Osteoporosis Screening, Treatment Recommended for Older Men Only if History of Fracture or Over Age 80
Osteoporosis screening of all men over age 70 plus bisphosphonates for those with osteoporosis is not a cost-effective strategy for fracture prevention at current drug cost levels but might be reasonable for men 65 or older with prior fracture and for men 80 or older even without prior fracture...Schousboe JT, et al. JAMA. 2007;298:629-637.

Thursday Aug 02, 2007
Stem Cell Transplants Offer Hope for Children With Severe, Refractory JIA
Intensive immunosuppression followed by T-cell-depleted autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation offers refractory JIA patients a chance for remission, but is it worth the risks?…Brinkman DMC, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2410-2421.

Thursday Aug 02, 2007
FDA Stops Arthritis Gene Therapy Trial After Patient Dies
CIAOMed takes an in-depth look into what went wrong in the inflammatory arthritis gene therapy trial that resulted in a patient's death and what this incident may mean for the future of gene trials, particularly in arthritis...

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.

Thursday Jul 26, 2007
Vitamin C After Wrist Fracture Prevents Chronic Pain Syndrome
Vitamin C (500 mg/day) taken for 50 days after wrist fracture significantly reduces the risk of developing complex regional pain syndrome...

Wednesday Jul 25, 2007
Hip Protectors Fail to Prevent Hip Fracture in Nursing Home Residents
Energy-absorbing/shunting hip protectors do not protect nursing home residents from hip fractures…Kiel DP, et al. JAMA. 2007;298:413-422.

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).

Thursday Jul 19, 2007
ACR REF Campaign Taps Brightest Minds to Cure RA
The American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation has awarded $6 million in grant money to 15 arthritis researchers as part of a new "Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis" campaign.

Friday Jul 13, 2007
Intensive MTX Therapy Plus Computer Guidance Moves More RA Patients into Remission
Intensive methotrexate (MTX) therapy adjusted with the help of a quantitative computerized decision program may move more early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients into remission than conventional MTX treatment…Verstappen SMM, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2007; May 22; [Epub ahead of print].

Thursday Jul 12, 2007
Coffee Consumption Slashes Gout Risk
Coffee may stave off gout before it starts, but patients who do develop gout are likely to receive suboptimal care...

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...

Tuesday Jul 10, 2007
Hydroxychloroquine Protects RA Patients Against Diabetes
RA patients taking hydroxychloroquine are up to 77% less likely to develop diabetes than RA patients who have not taken this drug...

Monday Jul 09, 2007
Zap Away Knee OA Pain With Pulsed Electrostimulation
Pulsed electrostimulation may be a safe and effective way to reduce pain and improve function in knee OA patients...

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 28, 2007
RA Disease Activity Decreases During Pregnancy, but Less Than Was Assumed
A prospective study of RA outcomes during pregnancy shows that improvement and remission rates are not as high as previously reported…

Friday Jun 22, 2007
Belimumab Improves Symptoms in Nearly Half of Lupus Patients at 52 Weeks, Advances to Phase III Studies
Belimumab produces sustained improvement in SLE symptoms…

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...

Tuesday Jun 19, 2007
Single Dose of Denosumab Reduces Bone Erosion in RA
MRI and X-ray data show that a single dose of denosumab reduces progression of bone erosions in RA patients...

Monday Jun 18, 2007
Immediate Switch From TNF-Inhibitors To Abatacept Safe in RA Patients
A washout is not needed when switching from a TNF-inhibitor to abatacept...

Thursday Jun 14, 2007
More Patients Needed to Validate Biomarkers and Genotyping in Rheumatoid Diseases
Biomarkers and genotyping technology have outpaced the number of patient cohorts available for validation studies in rheumatoid diseases, but the new approaches are expected to change how clinicians assess disease susceptibility and predict response to therapy...

Thursday Jun 14, 2007
Steroids Are DMARDS: MTX Plus Prednisolone Provides Durable Benefit in RA
Study confirms "window of opportunity" in early RA where steroids can reduce structural damage…

Thursday May 31, 2007
Can NSAIDs Blunt the Cardioprotective Effects of Estrogen?
NSAIDs may interact with HT, potentially offsetting the cardioprotective effects observed in studies of either endogenous or exogenous estrogens...

Thursday May 31, 2007
Studies Support Back Surgery Mainly for Nerve-Root-Associated Symptoms and Find Little Need to Rush to the OR
Lumbar-disk surgery for sciatica speeds pain relief but does not affect recovery at 1 year, but spinal fusion for lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis was more effective than nonsurgical treatment...

Friday May 25, 2007
Accumulating Evidence Supports Adalimumab for Severe Psoriatic Arthritis
Adalimumab (Humira®) is safe and effective for patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who showed an inadequate response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)...

Thursday May 24, 2007
Single Local Corticosteroid Injection Is the Most Effective Way to Avoid Surgery in Severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
An updated review of 12 studies comprising 671 patients found that local corticosteroid injections can provide at least a month of relief for patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome...

Thursday May 24, 2007
SLE Experts Highlight Need for Targeted Therapies
SLE treatment has improved, but not enough, and more targeted therapies may be the answer...

Wednesday May 23, 2007
New SLE Treatments Hit B-Cells From Several Directions
Various new treatments directed at B-cells offer mounting interest in SLE arsenal...

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...

Friday May 18, 2007
PDL BioPharma Advances Nuvion® Into Second Pivotal Study in Intravenous Steroid-Refractory Ulcerative Colitis
PDL BioPharma, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering, developing, and commercializing humanized monoclonal antibodies for autoimmune diseases and cancer, announced it will advance Nuvion^R (visilizumab), a humanized antibody, into a phase III clinical program in patients with intravenous steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis (IVSR-UC)...

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...

Wednesday May 16, 2007
Is There Anything Statins Can't Do? Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs May Moderate RA
In addition to their lipid-lowering effects, statins may reduce disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients...

Friday May 11, 2007
Lupus Gene Protects Against Malaria, But Does Malaria Also Prevent Lupus?
A mutation that renders the FcγRIIb receptor nonfunctional vastly improves monocytes' ability to clear malaria parasites, protects lupus-prone mice against malarial disease, and may explain the high prevalence of lupus in some population groups. Interestingly, there is also some evidence suggesting that the body's response to malarial infection might reduce lupus severity in some situations...Clatworthy MR, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007;104:7169-7174.

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...

Wednesday May 02, 2007
Yearly Injection of Zoledronic Acid Cuts Spine Fracture Risk by 70%
A single intravenous 5-mg dose of zoledronic acid (Reclast®), given once yearly, can significantly reduce the risk of vertebral, hip,and other fractures, but its major advantage may lie in the ease of administration…

Tuesday May 01, 2007
Rituximab Plus Cyclophosphamide May Be an Option for Patients With Refractory Lupus Nephritis
A new 6-month pilot study suggests that rituximab (RituxanR) plus cyclophosphamide leads to clinical and histopathologic improvements in patients with therapy-resistant proliferative lupus nephritis...

Tuesday May 01, 2007
MRI Erosions, Edema in RA  Are Due to Inflammatory Infiltrates in Bone Marrow
Bone erosions and bone marrow edema seen with MRI in joints affected by RA are due to inflammatory infiltrates that have invaded the bone marrow...

Friday Apr 27, 2007
Estrogen Exposure May Increase Lupus Risk
Lupus affects nine women for every one man. Is estrogen to blame?...

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...

Monday Apr 23, 2007
Tramadol for OA? Meta-Analysis Shows Pain Relief, But Barely
A new meta-analysis concludes that tramadol is better than placebo at decreasing pain intensity, relieving symptoms, and improving function in patients with OA, but the degree of benefit is small; one in eight patients will stop taking the drug because of adverse events...

Thursday Apr 19, 2007
Little High-Quality Evidence Found for Either Diagnosis or Treatment of Septic Arthritis
A systematic review of research on septic arthritis finds little reliable evidence to guide either diagnosis or management. The review identifies antibiotic choice, route of administration, and duration as key unanswered questions, as well as whether closed aspiration or open arthroscopy/arthrotomy is better for cleaning out an infected joint...

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
FDA Panel Rejects Merck's Arcoxia By 20-to-1 Vote
Citing increased cardiovascular risks, an FDA advisory panel voted 20-to-1 against recommending approval of the COX-2 inhibitor ArcoxiaR (etoricoxib) for the treatment of osteoarthritis...

Monday Apr 09, 2007
Study on Link Between RA and Diabetes Leaves Many Questions Unanswered

Some research has suggested an inflammation-mediated link between RA and diabetes, but a new study may debunk this theory...

Thursday Apr 05, 2007
More Evidence Points Toward Safety of Anti-TNF Drugs During Pregnancy
Three recent case reports add to an accumulating body of evidence that the TNF-blockers are safe during pregnancy, but one new report is far from the final word on the issue...

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…

Tuesday Mar 27, 2007
VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Completes $28.9 Million Series A Financing to Target Toll-Like Receptors
VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced the closing of a $26.6 million Series A financing agreement, led by Frazier Healthcare Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, and Domain Associates.

Thursday Mar 22, 2007
New Studies Urge Closer Monitoring for JIA-Related Uveitis, TNF-Inhibitors Effective For Difficult Cases

New studies report that uveitis occurs in up to 20% of JIA patients, that TNF-inhibitors may be effective in hard-to-treat cases, and that close monitoring for uveitis should continue even during arthritis remissions...

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...

Tuesday Mar 20, 2007
CYC Better Than AZA for Lupus Nephritis; Repeat Renal Biopsy Adds Little Useful Data
Azathioprine/methylprednisolone is inferior to pulse cyclophosphamide (CYC) for proliferative lupus nephritis...

Tuesday Mar 20, 2007
Two-Year BeSt Data Confirm Benefits of Early Combo DMARDs for Early RA, Highlight Importance of Tight Control and Individualized Treatment
Two-year data from the BeSt trial support initial combination therapy, changed as needed to sustain DAS <2.4, as most effective for preventing progression of early RA...

Monday Mar 19, 2007
Joint Damage Continues in Some RA Patients Despite Sustained Clinical Remission
Radiologic damage may progress in some RA patients who meet standard criteria for clinical remission. This radiologic damage is independent of joint inflammation, and absence of progression should be added to remission criteria in RA...

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...

Friday Mar 09, 2007
TNF-Inhibitors Cut Cancer, Cardiac, Overall Mortality in RA Patients
A comparison of two nationwide databases shows that RA patients treated with TNF-inhibitors have lower mortality from all causes than RA patients not taking these drugs...

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
AAN Therapeutics Panel Discourages Use of Epidural Steroid Injections for Radicular Low Back or Cervical Pain
The American Academy of Neurology's therapeutics and technology assessment subcommittee cautions against use of epidural steroid injections for radicular lumbosacral pain and concludes that there is insufficient evidence to make any recommendation for radicular cervical pain...

Thursday Mar 01, 2007
Larger Study Fails to Confirm Link Between Red Meat and RA
The largest study to date to examine dietary protein, iron, and meat consumption and risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not confirmed a link between red meat intake and RA suggested by earlier studies...

Thursday Mar 01, 2007
Calcium-Containing Crystals May Contribute to OA Joint Destruction, Be Amenable to Treatment
Evidence is accumulating that calcium-containing crystals, which are common in OA synovial fluids in some patients, contribute to the development of rapidly destructive arthritis and might be a target for therapeutic intervention...

Wednesday Feb 28, 2007
Atherogenic Lipid Profile Begins 10 Years Before Onset of RA
High levels of cholesterol and other blood lipids in RA patients may predate RA onset by as much as 10 years, and inflammation is only partially to blame...

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...

Monday Feb 26, 2007
Lupus Patients Clear UV-Damaged "Sunburn Cells" but May Have Unusual Inflammatory Reaction to Them
Sunlight can trigger new skin lesions and worsen disease activity in lupus; this might reflect an abnormal inflammatory response to UV-damaged cells, despite the ability to clear them normally from the epidermis...

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...

Wednesday Feb 21, 2007
XDx Partners with the University of Minnesota and the Feinstein Institute to Develop Molecular Diagnostics to Improve the Clinical Management of Lupus
XDx Inc, a molecular diagnostics company that focuses on immune-mediated diseases, announced the signing of an agreement with the University of Minnesota to exclusively license key intellectual property assets in the field of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Tuesday Feb 20, 2007
Subset of Early RA Patients Seems Doomed to Progression Regardless of Treatment
Some patients with recent-onset RA who are RF-positive, are anti-CCP-positive, or have a high cumulative amount of disease activity are likely to have rapid progression despite aggressive treatment...

Tuesday Feb 20, 2007
Suspect CVID if Lupus Patients Have Recurrent Sinus Infections
Rheumatologists should suspect CVID in lupus patients with recurrent sinopulmonary infections in the absence of lupus activity and/or immunosuppressive treatment. Treatment with gammaglobulins may be highly effective for this rare but potentially deadly disease...

Thursday Feb 15, 2007
Experts at the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Predict Clinically Useful Gene Therapy, Tissue Engineering Will Be Available "in 5 to 10 Years"
Presentations at the AAOS meeting include advances in both gene therapy and tissue-engineered products for cartilage, bone, and tendon repair...

Thursday 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
Wider Use of Spinal Cord Stimulation for Axial LBP Urged at Pain Medicine Meeting
Spinal cord stimulation is effective for axial low back pain (LBP) as well as for radiculopathy and should be more widely used for pain relief in LBP patients who have persistent pain associated with failed back surgery syndrome...

Monday Feb 12, 2007
Etoricoxib Reduces Mild but Not Serious GI Events Versus Diclofenac
The gradual return of the coxibs gained traction this week with a report in The Lancet that etoricoxib produced significantly fewer upper GI clinical events than diclofenac in RA or OA patients in the randomized MEDAL program studies...

Thursday Feb 08, 2007
More Patient Input on Design Needed If RA Patients Are Actually to Wear Therapeutic Shoes
More attention to shape and design of shoes for feet of RA patients...

Thursday Feb 08, 2007
Steroids Add 60% to DMARD Efficacy in RA

Cochrane Collaboration reviewers say that steroids should be added to the list of drugs that can change the course of rheumatoid arthritis if used early enough...

Tuesday Feb 06, 2007
New RA Vaccine Targets Regulatory T-Cells
A pilot clinical trial of a new RA vaccine derived from autologous synovial T-cells shows proof-of-principle that inducing CD4+ regulatory T-cells can improve clinical and laboratory parameters in RA patients...

Wednesday Jan 31, 2007
New Model Predicts Risk of RA
A newly developed, easy-to-use prediction rule may help rheumatologists determine which patients with undifferentiated arthritis (UA) will progress to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and require early, aggressive treatment...

Wednesday Jan 31, 2007
First, Do No Harm—Exercise Won't Up Risk of Knee OA
Exercise neither protects against nor increases the risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in older, overweight adults…

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...

Thursday Jan 25, 2007
Anti-Infliximab Antibodies Linked to Nonresponse in AS
New research outlines some drawbacks and limitations in the use of TNF-inhibitors among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and other forms of spondylarthritis...

Tuesday Jan 23, 2007
Can the Web Help Doctors Get RA Patients Moving? Maybe
RA patients randomized to an individualized, Internet-based exercise program report more physical activity than those given general exercise information, but the electronic monitor does not confirm their reports...

Tuesday Jan 23, 2007
Older Men Are as Vulnerable to Second Osteoporotic Fractures as Women—and Receive Even Less Treatment
After a first low-trauma fracture, men are as likely as women to have a second fracture and are less likely to receive osteoporosis care...

Thursday Jan 18, 2007
New Treatments Rocked Rheumatology in 2006

New treatment options have advanced rheumatology care in 2006, but lupus remains an unsolved problem, and CIAOMed Editorial Board members expect economic issues to greatly impact rheumatology practice in 2007...

Wednesday Jan 17, 2007
Rheumatologists May Be Doing Better at Treating Osteoporosis in RA Patients
Management of osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients has improved modestly since 1999 (at least in one large academic practice)...

Tuesday Jan 16, 2007
Can-Fite Completes Enrollment of 250 Patients in Phase IIb RA Trial of CF101, an A3 Adenosine Receptor Agonist; Receives US$1 Million Payment from Seikagaku Corporation
Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd, a clinical-stage drug development company focused on a portfolio of orally bioavailable, highly selective, small molecule A(3) adenosine receptor (A(3)AR) agonists with potent activities in inflammation and cancer, announced the  completion of patient enrollment in a phase IIb rheumatoid arthritis (RA) clinical trial of CF101, an A(3)AR agonist...

Tuesday Jan 16, 2007
FDA Sets New Rule on Calcium/Vitamin D Osteoporosis Claims for Food, Diet Supplement Labeling
The FDA will permit a new "calcium plus vitamin D" claim in food and dietary supplement labeling for reducing the risk of osteoporosis and will shorten the required label in the hope that more dairy, juice, and other products that qualify will put it on their packaging, thus increasing consumer awareness...

Thursday Jan 11, 2007
Combination DMARD Therapy Leads to Sustained Remission in RA
Treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with a combination of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) plus prednisolone results in sustained remission and blocks the progression of radiographic joint damage in a "remarkable proportion" of patients...

Thursday Jan 11, 2007
Rigel Starts Phase II Study of Its Oral Kinase Inhibitor, R788, in Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc, announced that it has initiated enrollment and dosing of patients with refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in a phase II study evaluating the efficacy and safety of its lead product candidate, R788, an oral syk kinase inhibitor that inhibits IgG signaling and blocks the activation of mast cells, macrophages and B-cells that promote swelling and an inflammatory response.

Thursday Jan 11, 2007
New Study Challenges Role of Low Vitamin D in OA Worsening
Low vitamin D levels did not predict worsening of knee OA joint space narrowing or cartilage loss...

Wednesday Jan 10, 2007
Osiris Receives US FDA Fast Track Status for Prochymalâ„¢ Stem Cell Therapy and Clearance to Start Phase III Clinical Trial in Treatment-Resistant Crohn's Disease
Osiris Therapeutics, a leader in adult stem cell therapy, announced that Prochymalâ„¢, a preparation of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors and specially formulated for intravenous infusion, has received fast-track designation from the US FDA, expediting the development of the stem cell treatment for Crohn's disease that does not respond to standard therapies.

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...

Thursday Jan 04, 2007
FivePrime Signs Collaborative Research and License Deal With Centocor to Discover Therapeutics to Treat OA and Other Diseases
FivePrime Therapeutics, Inc, a privately held protein therapeutics discovery and development company, announced the signing of a worldwide collaborative research and license agreement with Centocor, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, to discover therapeutic products to treat osteoarthritis (OA) and pulmonary fibrosis.

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...

Thursday Dec 21, 2006
Peripheral Sensory Neuropathy in Lupus—Is Vitamin B6 Toxicity to Blame? —Updated
As growing numbers of Americans turn to vitamin and mineral supplements to boost their health, a new case report showing that vitamin B6 toxicity may have caused peripheral sensory neuropathy in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is cause for concern...

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...

Monday Dec 11, 2006
GlaxoSmithKline to Acquire Domantis for US$454 Million
GlaxoSmithKline (LONDON, United Kingdom) announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Domantis Ltd (an early-stage, antibody-based therapeutics company) for US$454 million in cash.

Thursday Dec 07, 2006
High-Dose Immune Suppression With or Without Stem Cell Transplants For Systemic Sclerosis
Studies are evaluating stem cell transplantation as a potential treatment for autoimmune disease, however, researchers sharply disagree regarding myeloablative vs nonmyeloablative approaches and whether stem cells are really necessary...

Thursday Nov 30, 2006
CIAOMed Announcement: CIAOMed Writer Receives Women's Health Journalism Award
The 2006 Excellence in Women's Health Research Journalism Award is part of an annual awards program the Society for Women's Health Research launched in 2003 to honor journalists who excel in providing the public with valuable health research information.

Thursday Nov 30, 2006
FDA Panel Gives Nod to Celebrex for JRA
Despite a desire for more long term safety data, an advisory committee of the US Food and Drug Administration voted 15-1 Wednesday to recommend approval of celecoxib (CelebrexR) for the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA)...

Thursday Nov 30, 2006
Pregnant Women with SLE Face High Risk of Death, Infection
Pregnant women with lupus need to be followed closely by both a rheumatologist and an obstetrician experienced in high-risk pregnancies, as these women are at increased risks of mortality, infection, and other serious complications during gestation...

Wednesday Nov 29, 2006
KaloBios Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial of Anti-GM-CSF Antibody for Rheumatoid Arthritis
KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a privately-held clinical development company focused on the development of therapeutic antibodies, announced that it has begun treating patients in a phase I clinical trial of its investigational rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapeutic, KB002, an engineered chimeric human monoclonal antibody targeting the cytokine growth factor, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF).

Wednesday Nov 29, 2006
Source MDx Awarded SBIR Phase I Grant; Will Collaborate with Tufts-New England Medical Center to Develop Biomarkers to Predict Responders and Nonresponders to Anti-TNF Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Source MDx, a molecular diagnostics company, and Tufts-New England Medical Center (NEMC) announced a collaboration to investigate the clinical use of RNA-based molecular diagnostic tests to monitor rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease status and response to therapy.

Monday Nov 27, 2006
Synovial Cells Predict Response to TNF Inhibitors
The secret to why some RA patients respond to anti-TNF-α drugs and others do not may lie in the synovium…Tak P, et al. Presented at ACR 2006 Meeting.

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.

Wednesday Nov 22, 2006
Smoking, Anti-CCP, Shared Epitope Have Complex Relationship in North American RA Patients
Smoking increases the risk of anti-CCP but has no clear interaction with shared epitope in North American RA patients... Irigoyen P. Presented at ACR 2006 Meeting.

Wednesday Nov 22, 2006
Still No Final Word on Diskectomy vs Nonoperative Treatment for HNP
New data show no dramatic difference between diskectomy and nonoperative management of lumbar disk herniation—suggesting that individual patient preferences should play a major role in choice of treatment— and that there is no great risk in delaying surgery.

Tuesday Nov 21, 2006
Study Helps Explain Why Smoking Slows Ligament and Bone Healing
Smoking cigarettes delays cartilage formation in healing bone fractures and slows type I collagen production and recruitment of cells linked to healing of torn ligaments…

Tuesday Nov 21, 2006
Bioenvision Files to Start Phase I Trials in Germany of Clofarabine Gel for Psoriasis
Bioenvision, Inc, a company focused on the development and marketing of compounds and technologies for the treatment of cancer, announced the filing of a clinical trial authorization (CTA) to begin two phase I studies in Germany of clofarabine gel for the treatment of psoriasis.

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.

Thursday Nov 16, 2006
Can-Fite Presents Results Showing a Correlation Between High Expression of the Receptor Target for Its Drug CF101 and Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients' Response to the Drug
Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd, a clinical-stage drug development company focused on a portfolio of orally bioavailable, highly selective, small molecule A(3) adenosine receptor (A[3]AR) agonists with potent activities in inflammation and cancer, announced that it presented results showing a correlation between high expression of the receptor target for its investigational A(3)AR agonist CF101 and the response of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to treatment with the drug, at the 70th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology and the 41st Annual Meeting of the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals in Washington, DC.

Thursday Nov 16, 2006
CDC Pushes to Put CFS on Doctor's Radar Screen 
A new public education campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aims to convince healthcare providers that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is real and needs to be more effectively recognized and treated... CDC Press Conference, November 3, 2006.

Wednesday Nov 15, 2006
Three-Year BeSt Results Suggest MTX Plus Infliximab Can Move Some RA Patients Into Drug-Free Remission
Three-year results from the BeSt study suggest that early induction therapy with infliximab plus MTX can bring about remission in RA patients…Van Der Kooij SM, et al. Presented at: ACR 2006 Meeting. 

Tuesday Nov 14, 2006
PROMPT Study Shows "Window of Opportunity" in Early Undifferentiated Arthritis
Early MTX treatment can delay and possibly prevent progression to RA among anti-CCP positive patients who have early, undifferentiated arthritis... van Dongen H, et al. Presented at: ACR 2006 Meeting.

Tuesday Nov 14, 2006
Non-Myeloablative Stem Cell Transplants Safe, Effective in Scleroderma
A pilot study of a non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation regimen for patients with severe scleroderma reports 90% overall survival and 70% progression-free survival at 2 years…Barr WG, et al. Presented at: ACR 2006 Meeting.

Monday Nov 13, 2006
Shortfall of Academic Rheumatologists May Jeopardize Specialty's Future
ACR President Mary K. Crow, MD, calls for solutions to help academic medical centers  recruit and retain talented rheumatologists... 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.

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
Community Physiotherapy, Pharmacy Review Can Help Knee OA Patients Reduce NSAID Use
Physiotherapists and pharmacists can safely and effectively deliver evidence-based care to patients with knee pain resulting in improvements in pain, high degree of patient satisfaction, and reduced use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, at least in the short term...

Wednesday Nov 01, 2006
Regeneron's Phase III Clincial Program for Interleukin-1 (IL-1) Trap, a Long Lasting IL-1 Inhibitor, Achieves Primary Endpoints in Studies with Patients Diagnosed with CAPS, a Spectrum of Rare Chronic Autoinflammatory Syndromes
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc, announced positive data from a phase III clinical program designed to provide two separate demonstrations of efficacy for the investigational drug Interleukin-1 (IL-1) Trap within a single group of patients suffering from CAPS (CIAS1-related Autoinflammatory Periodic Syndromes).

Wednesday Oct 25, 2006
NSAIDs/DMARDs Can Thwart Antibiotic-Refractory Lyme Arthritis
Report highlights effective postantibiotic strategies for treating antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis and identifies risk factors for the rare but vexing condition... Steere AC, Angelis SM. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:3079-3086

Wednesday Oct 25, 2006
Fracture Risk Higher in RA Patients
RA patients are at an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures due to a combination of disease activity, low BMI,  and oral glucocorticoid use... van Staa, TP, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:3104–3112.

Monday Oct 23, 2006
Etanercept/MTX Uncouple Inflammation and Joint Destruction in RA
RA patients treated with etanercept plus methotrexate have less radiographic progression of joint damage than patients who take either drug alone, even if they continue to have inflammation or other makers of active disease....

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.

Wednesday Oct 11, 2006
Experts Debate Effect of Menopause on SLE
Lupus improves over time regardless of menopausal status…Urowitz, M, et al. J Rheum. 2006 Sept 15; [Epub ahead of print].

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.

Monday Oct 02, 2006
Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis Seen in Leflunomide-Treated RA Patient
A case of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis associated with leflunomide treatment for rheumatoid arthritis has been reported... Wardwell NR, et al. Respirology. 2006;11:663-665.

Thursday Sep 28, 2006
Centocor's Remicade Approved by US FDA for Treatment of Chronic Severe Plaque Psoriasis
Centocor, Inc. (HORSHAM, Pa.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, announced that the US FDA has approved Remicade^R (infliximab) for the treatment of adult patients with chronic severe (ie, extensive and/or disabling) plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy and for whom other systemic therapies are medically less appropriate.

Tuesday Sep 19, 2006
TNF Inhibitors Do Not Increase Cancer Risk More Than MTX in RA Patients
A study of 1152 RA patients who used biologics and 7306 treated with methotrexate concludes that the risk of cancer is about the same in both groups, once RA disease severity is considered. Setoguchi S, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2757-2764.

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
Most Stomach Pain in Childhood Lupus Needs High-Dose Steroids, Not Laparotomy
Patients with childhood-onset lupus who present with abdominal pain likely are suffering flares of the underlying SLE and in most cases should receive high doses of corticosteroids—not be rushed to surgery for presumed appendicitis... Richer O, et al.  Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;3 July 2006; [Epub ahead of print]

Wednesday Sep 13, 2006
Can-Fite BioPharma to Develop Its A3 Adenosine Receptor Agonist (CF101) for Psoriasis
Can-Fite BioPharma, a clinical-stage drug development company focused on a portfolio of orally bioavailable, highly selective, small-molecule A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) agonists with potent activities in inflammation and cancer, announced the intent to initiate a phase II clinical trial in psoriasis for its lead drug candidate, CF101.

Tuesday Sep 12, 2006
BioLineRx In-Licenses Novel Antisense Drug for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases
BioLineRx announced that it has signed an exclusive worldwide license agreement with B.G. Negev Technologies Ltd., the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and Mor Research Applications, Ltd., the Technology Transfer Office of Clalit Health Services, for the development and commercialization of BL-3030, a novel antisense drug inhibiting the formation of the enzyme cPLA2 (cytosolic phospholipase A2)for the treatment of inflammatory diseases...

Tuesday Sep 12, 2006
Safety Studies Clear Most Coxibs of Class Effect, Raise Questions About Diclofenac
Two new analyses published early online today by JAMA because of their public health implications show kidney and heart problems associated with rofecoxib (even after brief use) but not with other COX-2 inhibitors, and raise new questions about the safety of diclofenac...

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...

Tuesday Sep 05, 2006
Medarex and GenPat77 to Codevelop Humanized Therapeutic Antibodies Against Immune Modulatory Targets
Medarex, Inc. and GenPat77 Pharmacogenetics AG have entered into a collaborative agreement to develop fully human therapeutic antibody products...

Thursday Aug 31, 2006
Alendronate Better Than Alfacalcidol for Preventing GC-Induced Bone Loss
A randomized, double-blind clinical trial finds that alendronate is significantly better than alfacalcidol at preventing  glucocorticoid-induced bone loss and reducing fracture risk...

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...

Tuesday Aug 29, 2006
Histogenics Raises $13.1 Million to Advance Its Cartilage and Orthopedic Tissue Regeneration Technologies
Histogenics Corporation announced that it has raised $13.1 million in Series A-1 financing to be used to advance NeoCart®, its lead investigational product, into phase II clinical trials...

Thursday Aug 24, 2006
Does Skipping Breakfast Endanger Your Joints?
New data from chondroitin researchers suggests that low sulfate levels in blood might lead to poor-quality cartilage by causing undersulfation of chondroitin in the joints... Blinn CM, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;651223-1225.

Thursday Aug 24, 2006
Apparent Changes in Joint Space Often Due to Changes in the Meniscus
New research suggesting that alterations in the meniscus contribute a large proportion to variations in joint space narrowing (JSN) may have ramifications for how clinical trials of disease modifying osteoarthritis drugs are conducted... Hunter DJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum.  2006;54:2488-2495.

Wednesday Aug 23, 2006
Niche Use Seen for SSZ in Inflammatory Back Pain
SSZ may be useful in patients with inflammatory back pain who do not have peripheral arthritis... Braun J, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:1147-1153

Tuesday Aug 22, 2006
Ethnicity, Poor Coping Styles and Lack of Social Support Predict More Active SLE
Socioeconomic, demographic, and psychological factors affect SLE disease activity levels, and some of these variables may be modifiable in ways that improve disease outcomes... Alarcón GS, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:1168-1174.

Monday Aug 21, 2006
Osiris IPO Raises $38.5 Million to Advance Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapies
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. announced that underwriters sold 3.5 million shares of its common stock at a price of $11.00 per share, achieving the lower end of the targeted share price for its initial public offering and raising $38.5 million.

Thursday Aug 17, 2006
Superagonist Trial Hit By Cytokine Storm
The six patients who nearly died in a phase I trial of an experimental anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody being developed as a rheumatoid arthritis treatment were injured by "cytokine storms" triggered by the new drug, and the head of the intensive care unit where their lives were saved thinks this demonstrates that a new approach to testing biologic agents is needed....Suntharalingam G, et al. N Engl J Med. 2006; August 14; [Epub ahead of print].

Thursday Aug 10, 2006
Michigan Researchers to Study ACL Injuries, Bone Bruises, in Knee OA
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common in young athletes and often lead to later knee osteoarthritis (OA). A new prospective study will try to determine whether bone bruises add to that risk.

Wednesday Aug 09, 2006
TransPharma Medical Raises $18 Million to Advance Clinical Development of Transdermal hPTH (1-34) for Osteoporosis
TransPharma Medical Ltd, has raised $18 million in a Series C round of financing, led by Argonaut Private Equity and including an additional new investor, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, as well as TransPharma's current investors.

Tuesday Aug 08, 2006
Geron and University of Edinburgh to Collaborate in Conducting Preclinical Studies with Cell Types Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells for Musculoskeletal Applications
Geron Corporation and the University of Edinburgh announced that they have entered into a collaboration to conduct preclinical safety and efficacy studies with three cell types derived from human embryonic stem cells.

Friday Aug 04, 2006
Do Oral Contraceptives Protect Against RA Development?
Use of oral contraceptives may protect against the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), while smoking may increase the risk of developing the autoimmune disorder ... Bhatia, SS, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 July 25; [Epub ahead of print].

Wednesday Jul 26, 2006
GAO, HHS Inspector General Push FDA to Tighten Up on Postmarketing Studies
A report from the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General adds to growing pressure for the US Food and Drug Administration to hold pharma companies accountable for the burgeoning number of promised—but never completed—postmarketing studies.

Friday Jul 21, 2006
Study Suggests Glucosamine Not So Safe After All
People with untreated diabetes who take glucosamine may experience spikes in glucose levels when they take supplements of glucosamine…Biggee BA, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. Published Online: 3 July 2006. doi:10.1136/ard.2006.058222.

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.

Friday Jul 14, 2006
Researchers Map the Genetic Substrate of RA
Two new reports on genetics and RA show that a mutation in the PTPN22 gene not only increases RA susceptibility but hastens disease progression and that development of RA is associated with altered expression of disease-associated genes, apparently in response to environmental or other nongenetic factors. Lie B, et al. EULAR 2006; Haas CS, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2047-2060.

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.

Friday Jul 07, 2006
Infliximab Resistance, Infusion Reactions Linked to Immune Complex Formation
RA patients who do not respond to infliximab are likely to have infliximab/anti-infliximab immune complexes due to high levels of human antichimeric antibodies, and very large immune complexes may play a role in infliximab infusion reactions....van der Laken CJ, et al. Ann Rheum Dis.  2006; epub ahead of print.

Thursday Jul 06, 2006
Controlled Trial Shows That Acupuncture Improves Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Acupuncture may be a reasonable adjunct to fibromyalgia treatment…Martin, D, et al. Mayo Clinic Proc. 2006;81:749-757.

Friday Jun 30, 2006
NEJM Vioxx Correction Casts Doubt on Short-Term Safety
A correction in the July 13 New England Journal of Medicine throws out the the original APPROVe study conclusion that Vioxx-related cardiovascular risk increases only after 18 months of use and casts doubt on the implied safety of briefer exposure. N Engl J Med. July 13, 2005 available at www.nejm.org.

Friday Jun 30, 2006
Consider Disease Duration in Comparing Functional Outcomes of RA Treatment
Measures of physical function such as the HAQ become less responsive to treatment effects with increasing duration of RA, so disease duration should be considered in comparing functional outcomes of different treatments...Aletaha D. 2006 EULAR Meeting.

Tuesday Jun 27, 2006
Questions About Hand OA Radiography Raised at EULAR
New radiographic standards for hand OA are needed. ...Watt I. EULAR 2006 Meeting' June 21-24, 2006, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Abstract SP0059.

Saturday Jun 24, 2006
PROMPT Trial Suggests Prompt MTX Stops Undifferentiated Arthritis Progression to RA
Patients with undifferentiated arthritis who are anti-CCP- or RF-positive are likely to have significantly slower progression to rheumatoid arthritis if treated with early MTX... Van Dongen H, et al. 2006 EULAR Meeting; June 21–24; Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Abstract OP0001.

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.

Tuesday Jun 20, 2006
Abatacept Effective in MTX-Resistant RA
Abatacept (Orencia®) significantly reduces disease activity and retards radiographic progression in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite treatment with methotrexate... Kremer JM, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:865-876.

Monday Jun 19, 2006
PDL's Nuvion® Humanized Anti-CD3 T-Cell Receptor Antibody Active in Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis
PDL BioPharma, Inc, of Fremont, California, announced that new data from studies of Nuvion® (visilizumab, a humanized low FcR-binding IgG2 anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody) in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis were presented at the annual Digestive Disease Week meeting...

Wednesday Jun 14, 2006
4-Year Follow-up Finds Etanercept Safe, Effective in JRA
Long-term data show continued improvement, acceptable safety in children with JRA treated with etanercept for 4 or more years... Lovell DJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;5:1987-1994.

Wednesday Jun 14, 2006
Arthritis Gene Therapy Inches Forward
TNF inhibitors and other biologicals may command more attention, and stem cells may be more controversial, but arthritis gene therapy continues to move quietly ahead... Evans C, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:1714-1729.

Wednesday Jun 14, 2006
MRI Reveals Little in Low Back Pain
Routine use of MRI in early episodes of low back pain is probably a mistake... Carragee E. Presented at: American Pain Society 25th Annual Meeting; May 3–6, 2006; San Antonio, Tex.

Monday Jun 12, 2006
Regeneron's IL-1 Trap Receives Fast-Track Designation From US FDA for CIAS1-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS)
Regeneron's IL-1 Trap has received fast-track designation from the US FDA for CIAS1-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS), a family of rare autoinflammatory diseases...

Monday Jun 05, 2006
New Treatment for Lupus Brought to (UVA-1) Light
Sunlight can trigger exacerbations of systemic lupus erythematosus, but the long-wave ultraviolet A-1 light can normalize some immune function in lupus patients, and should be considered for therapeutic use... Pavel S. Rheumatology. 2006;45:653-655.

Thursday May 25, 2006
Higher Strength MRI Reduces Need for Arthroscopy for Shoulder Injuries
MR imaging at 3.0 Tesla may be able to replace arthroscopy for diagnosing some types of shoulder cartilage damage... Magee TH, Willams DS. Presented at: American Roentgen Ray Society 106th Annual Meeting; April 30–May 5; Vancouver, BC. Abstract 52.

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...

Wednesday May 17, 2006
Manhattan Pharmaceuticals Delays Phase IIa Trial of Topical PTH (1-34) for Psoriasis
Manhattan Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of New York, NY, announced a delay in the phase IIa dosing study of topical PTH (1-34) for psoriasis...

Tuesday May 16, 2006
Low-Dose Prednisone Durably Slows Joint Damage in Early RA
Two years of low-dose prednisone slows radiographic progression in early RA and appears to change the course of the disease...  Jacobs JW, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006; 54:1422-1428.

Tuesday May 16, 2006
TNF Inhibitors Raise Cancer, Infection Risk, but Are Still Best Bet for Many RA Patients
A new meta-analysis shows that RA patients treated with infliximab or adalimumab (in addition to methotrexate) had 3.3 times the risk of developing cancer and 2.2 times the risk of developing a serious infection compared to their counterparts taking placebo plus methotrexate, and patients should be advised to get vaccinations, be alert for symptoms of infection, and have regular cancer screenings... Bongartz T, et al. JAMA. 2006;295:2275-2285.

Monday May 08, 2006
Array BioPharma Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial of Its MEK Inhibitor for Inflammatory Disease
Array BioPharma Inc, of Boulder, Colorado, announced the initiation of a phase I clinical trial in the US for its proprietary small-molecule novel MEK inhibitor, ARRY-438162, for the treatment of inflammatory disease...

Monday May 08, 2006
ARIAD and Co-Plaintiffs Win NF-kB Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Eli Lilly With Respect to Lilly's Osteoporosis Drug, Evista
ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced that a jury in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts has found in favor of ARIAD and its co-plaintiffs...

Thursday May 04, 2006
CV Risk With Vioxx Rises in First 60 Days
Rofecoxib (Vioxx) increases the risk of cardiovascular events, typically within the first 60 days of use, while naproxen reduces such risk, and other coxibs and nonselective NSAIDs have no effect... Solomon DH, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:1378-1389.

Thursday May 04, 2006
Adding Alefacept Increases MTX Response in Psoriatic Arthritis
Alefacept plus methotrexate significantly increased response rates in patients with psoriatic arthritis... Mease PJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:1638-1645.

Wednesday May 03, 2006
FivePrime Inks Research and License Deal With Boehringer Ingelheim to Discover New Therapeutics to Treat RA and Other Diseases
FivePrime Therapeutics, Inc, of San Francisco, California, announced a 2-year collaborative research and license agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim...

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.

Friday Apr 28, 2006
Leukocytes Extend Damage, Kill "Bystander" Chondrocytes in Areas Around Injured Cartilage
Damage to cartilage also kills chondrocytes far from the site of injury, and this distant damage is mediated by inflammatory leukocytes that adhere to ICAM-1 expressed by stressed but otherwise viable chondrocytes. Preventing the early flood of leukocytes into the injured joint or blocking leukocyte attachment to ICAM-1 might reduce long-term damage... Green DM, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:1509-1517.

Wednesday Apr 26, 2006
Neurochem's Eprodisate (Fibrillexâ„¢) Granted Priority Review by US FDA for the Treatment of Amyloid A Amyloidosis
Neurochem International Ltd, of Lausanne, Switzerland, announced that its new drug application for eprodisate (1,3-propanedisulfonate, Fibrillexâ„¢) for the treatment of Amyloid A amyloidosis has been granted priority review by the FDA...

Wednesday Apr 26, 2006
Infliximab Suspected of Worsening Rare MTX Lung Problem
Interstitial pneumonitis occurs in less than 1% of patients treated with methotrexate (MTX), but a recent case report suggests that adding infliximab might increase lung toxicity risk in certain vulnerable patients...  Villeneuve E, et al. J Rheumatol. 2006 Apr 15; [Epub ahead of print]

Wednesday Apr 26, 2006
TNF-alpha Inhibitors Increase Postop Infection Risk in RA Patients
The first systematic investigation linking TNF inhibitor therapy in RA to postoperative infections suggests that clinicians should consider interrupting anti-TNF treatment prior to orthopaedic surgery procedures... Giles JT, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;55:333-337

Tuesday Apr 18, 2006
Reata Obtains Exclusive Worldwide Rights to Tricyclic-Bis-Enones, a New Class of Anti-Inflammatory Compounds
Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of Dallas, Texas, has been granted exclusive worldwide rights to a novel class of anti-inflammatory compounds, tricyclic-bis-enones (TBEs)...

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.

Monday Apr 17, 2006
Subcutaneous Infliximab Shows Promise in Treating RA
An experimental subcutaneous and intramuscular formulation of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor infliximab is well tolerated and associated with a favorable American College of Rheumatology (ACR) response…Westhovens R, et al. J Rheumatol. 2006;33:5. First release April 1, 2006.

Friday Apr 14, 2006
Low Risk of Serious Infections With Infliximab When Used at Approved Dose of 3 mg/kg
New research suggests that the risk of serious infections in RA patients given the approved infliximab dose of 3 mg/kg plus methotrexate (MTX) is similar to the risk among patients receiving MTX alone... Westhovens R, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:1075-1086.

Tuesday Apr 11, 2006
Leflunomide is an Effective Treatment for Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) and Plaque Psoriasis
Once-daily oral leflunomide is a safe and effective treatment for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and plaque psoriasis... Nash P, et al. Dermatology. 2006;212:238-249.

Thursday Apr 06, 2006
BMP-6 is a Potent Inducer of Chondrogenesis in Adipose-Derived Adult Stem Cells
Bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP-6) stimulates the differentiation of human adipose-derived adult stem (ADAS) cells into cartilage cells... Estes BT, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:1222-1232.

Tuesday Apr 04, 2006
New Research Suggests That the Psoriasis Susceptibility I (PSORS1) Gene Has Been Identified
Previous studies have narrowed the interval containing PSORS1 to a 300-kilobase (kb)region in the major histocompatibility locus (MHC), which includes HLA-C and at least 10 other genes. New evidence suggests that HLA-Cw6 is the PSORS1 allele that confers susceptibility to early-onset psoriasis... Nair RP, et al. Am J Hum Genetics. 2006;78:827-851.

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)...

Friday Mar 31, 2006
Targeted Liposomal Therapy Shows Promise in RA Animal Models
New research in rats suggests that arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) peptide liposomes that deliver dexamethasone phosphate directly to sites of inflammation show promise in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis... Koning GA, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;34:1198-1208.

Thursday Mar 30, 2006
Sodium Hyaluronate Effective in Chronic Shoulder Pain
Injections of sodium hyaluronate may be an effective and safe alternative to cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of chronic shoulder pain... Blaine TA, et al. Presented at: 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; March 22–26, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 426.

Thursday Mar 23, 2006
Biomarkers May Identify Early Implant Failure or Loosening
New research is helping to identify early biomarkers of prosthetic performance as well as genetic polymorphisms that predict risk of osteolysis... Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill.

Wednesday Mar 22, 2006
Inhibiting Osteopontin May Stave Off Wear Debris–Induced Osteolysis
Inhibiting the bone-specific protein osteopontin may prevent wear debris–induced osteolysis... Shimizu S, et al. Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 92.

Wednesday Mar 22, 2006
Infections Following Revision Arthroplasty Are Increasing

The rate of deep infections following revision hip and knee arthroplasty is increasing and will continue to rise unless action is taken... Kurtz S, et al. Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 235.

Tuesday Mar 21, 2006
Spin-Lock (T1RHO) MRI May Be More Effective at Measuring Early Stages of Disc Degeneration
Spin-lock (T1RHO) magnetic resonance imaging may be more effective than other imaging technologies as a quantitative measure of early intervertebral disc degeneration... Johannessen W, et al. Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 16.

Tuesday Mar 21, 2006
Local Bisphosphonate Administration May Improve Implant Fixation
Local treatment with the bisphosphonate alendronate combined with bone compaction may improve implant fixation... Jakobsen T, et al. Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 89.

Monday Mar 20, 2006
Vertex's Investigational p38 MAP Kinase Inhibitor Meets Primary Objectives in Phase II Trials for RA
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced that its oral drug candidate, the p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitor VX-702...

Monday Mar 20, 2006
Single Injection of GDF-5 May Repair Degenerated Discs
A single injection of recombinant human growth and differentiation factor (GDF-5) may induce recovery of intravertebral disc height... Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 14.

Tuesday Mar 14, 2006
Study Associates Meniscal Damage With Advanced Cartilage Loss in Early OA
Meniscal tears and malposition result in cartilage loss in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis... Hunter DJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:795-801.

Monday Mar 13, 2006
Steroids Not Beneficial for Genital Ulcers in Behçet's Syndrome
Low-dose depot corticosteroids do not have a beneficial effect on the genital ulcers of Behçet's syndrome, but they may help control erythema nodosum lesions—especially in females... Mat C, et al. Rheumatology. 2006;45:348-352.

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.

Wednesday Mar 08, 2006
Acupuncture Provides Clinically Relevant Benefits for Chronic Low Back Pain
Acupuncture—either sham or real—is beneficial in treating patients with chronic low back pain... Brinkhaus B, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2006:166;450-457.

Tuesday Mar 07, 2006
High, Prolonged Inflammatory Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis Increases Lymphoma Risk
The severity of disease, not its treatments, is a risk factor for the development of malignant lymphomas in rheumatoid arthritis patients... Baecklund E, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:692-701.

Friday Mar 03, 2006
Rituximab Approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Refractory to TNF-Antagonists
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the anti-CD20+ B-cell-targeted monoclonal antibody rituximab (Rituxan®) in combination with methotrexate for adult patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who experienced an adequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor antagonists...

Wednesday Mar 01, 2006
Effects of IV Steroids for Treatment of Acute Sciatica Are Transient
Intravenous steroids reduce pain in patients with severe acute discogenic sciatica, although the improvement is small and transient... Finckh A, et al. Spine. 2006;31:377-381.

Wednesday Mar 01, 2006
Biosystems International Collaborates in Two Biomarker Programs
BioSystems International, of Evry, France, announced a collaborative agreement with AstraZeneca...

Thursday Feb 23, 2006
GAIT Results Show No Benefit of Glucosamine With Chondroitin for Treatment of Osteoarthritis
Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate alone or in combination did not reduce pain in the overall group of patients with knee osteoarthritis, although the supplements in combination may be effective in the subgroup of patients with moderate-to-severe pain... Clegg DO, et al. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:795-808.

Tuesday Feb 21, 2006
TNF Inhibitors May Benefit Refractory Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors may be useful for the treatment of some cases of refractory dermatomyositis and polymyositis... Efthimiou P, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. [serial online]. February 13, 2006; doi.10.1136/ard.2005.048744.

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.

Thursday Feb 16, 2006
Infliximab Effective Treatment for Refractory Childhood Uveitis
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibition is effective for treatment of childhood uveitis refractory to standard immunosuppressive therapy... Saurenmann RK, et al. Rheumatology Advance Access. February 3, 2006.doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ke1030.

Monday Feb 13, 2006
BioMimetic Therapeutics Files for IPO
BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc, of Franklin, Tennessee, announced that it has filed a registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission...

Monday Feb 13, 2006
AnGes MG and Seikagaku End Joint Development Program for NFkB Decoy-Oligo-Based Intraarticular Injection for RA and OA
AnGes MG, Inc, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, and Seikagaku Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, announced that they have agreed to end their joint development program of NF-kappa B...

Friday Feb 10, 2006
Adding Doxycycline to Methotrexate Improves Efficacy in Early RA Patients
Initial therapy with methotrexate (MTX) plus doxycycline is more effective than MTX alone among patients with early seropositive rheumatoid arthritis... O'Dell JR, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:621-627.

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.

Wednesday Feb 08, 2006
Etanercept in Combination with Sulfasalazine, Hydroxychloroquine, or Gold Is Safe and Effective Treatment for RA
Etanercept in combination with sulphasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, or intramuscular gold is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. O'Dell JR, et al. J Rheumatol. 2006;33:213-218.

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...

Wednesday Feb 01, 2006
Stem Cell Transplantation Shows Promise in Treatment-Resistant Lupus
Autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation ameliorates disease activity, improves serologic markers, and stabilizes or reverses organ dysfunction in about half of patients with treatment-refractory systemic lupus erythematosus... Burt RK, et al. JAMA. 2006;295:527-535.

Wednesday Jan 25, 2006
Insurance Coverage May Influence How TNF-Alpha Inhibitors Are Prescribed
A new observational study of the TNF-α inhibitors infliximab and etanercept has found that Medicare patients with RA are 30% more likely to receive infliximab than those covered by private insurance, findings that suggest that reimbursement policies may drive physicians' prescribing decisions independent of efficacy. However, the emergence of Medicare Part D prescription coverage may change prescribing behavior to favor self-injectable drugs... DeWitt EM, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:57-63.

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
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
Study Examines Most Effective Way to Give Steroid Boost for Mild to Moderate Lupus Flares
Intramuscular triamcinolone and oral methylprednisolone are equally effective at managing mild to moderate flares in lupus, but triamcinolone may lead to a more rapid response... Danowski A, et al. J Rheumatol. 2006;33:57-60.

Friday Jan 13, 2006
Increases in the Synthesis and Degradation of CTX-II Biomarkers May Predict OA Progression
Biomarkers of type II collagen synthesis and degradation may predict rapid progression among patients with knee osteoarthritis... Garnero P, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December  8-11, 2005; Boston, Mass. Abstract A6.

Thursday Jan 12, 2006
Three Months of Bosentan Therapy Improves Function in SSc-PAH Patients
Three Months of Bosentan Therapy Improves Function in SSc-PAH Patients

Wednesday Jan 11, 2006
Manhattan's PTH 1-34, a Topical Treatment for Psoriasis, Enters Phase IIa Trials
Manhattan Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of New York City, announced the initiation of a phase IIa clinical study of PTH 1-34, a parathyroid hormone-related peptide analog, for the topical treatment...

Monday Jan 09, 2006
Yoga Superior to Self-Care Book or Regular Exercise for Low Back Pain
Yoga is more effective than either instruction from a self-care book or a traditional exercise program at improving function and reducing medication use among patients with chronic low back pain. Sherman KJ, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2005;143:849-856.

Wednesday Jan 04, 2006
Outcomes of RA Patients Presenting with Undifferentiated Arthritis Same as Those Presenting with RA

Since patients who present with undifferentiated arthritis (UA) that evolves into rheumatoid arthritis within 1 year tend to have the same disease outcome as patients who present with RA, a new study suggests that it may be beneficial to treat UA patients with DMARDs... van Aken J, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006:65:20-25.

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.

Wednesday Dec 21, 2005
EMG May Be Better Than MRI at Diagnosing Spinal Stenosis
Because it can test nerve function and determine the presence of nerve damage, electromyogram testing may be more effective than magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosing spinal stenosis as well as detecting neuromuscular diseases that mimic stenosis... Haig AJ, et al. Spine. In press.

Tuesday Dec 20, 2005
Research Outlines Novel Role of IL-1, IGF-1 in Cartilage Damage of Arthritis
A new study by Dutch investigators suggests that interleukin-1 (IL-1)-induced suppression of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 3 renders chondrocytes insensitive to insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a novel mechanism that appears to contribute to cartilage damage in arthritis...Van der Loo FAJ, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8–11, 2005; Boston, Mass.

Sunday Dec 18, 2005
Etanercept May Be Effective for the Depression and Fatigue of Psoriasis
A new phase III trial has found that the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitor etanercept not only improves the clinical manifestations of psoriasis but also relieves the fatigue and depression associated with the disease. The findings point to the role higher concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α have in major depressive symptoms…. Tyring S, et al. Lancet [serial online]. December 15, 2005.

Wednesday Dec 14, 2005
Critical Therapeutics' Fully Human Monoclonal Antibodies Against HMGB1 Demonstrate Efficacy in Preclinical Models of Inflammation; Triggers $1.25 Million Milestone Payment From MedImmune
Critical Therapeutics, Inc, of Lexington, Massachusetts, announced that its fully human monoclonal antibodies against high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) provide significant protection...

Wednesday Dec 14, 2005
New England Journal of Medicine Editors Call for Correction of VIGOR Trial
In response to the revelation that three additional myocardial infarctions were withheld from the original Vioxx® GI Outcomes Research (VIGOR) trial submitted to the New England Journal of Medicine, the editors of the journal have called into question the integrity of the data and requested that the authors submit a correction to account for the "inaccuracies and deletions" in the original published article...Curfman GD, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:2813-2814.

Tuesday Dec 13, 2005
Research Points to the Importance of Diurnal Variations in Biomarkers for OA Assessment
A recent assessment of a cohort of patients with radiographic knee osteoarthritis uncovered substantial variations in the serum concentrations of key biomarkers of disease activity throughout the morning hours, changes that may affect clinical assessment of disease progression …. Kong SY, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8–11, 2005; Boston, Mass. Abstract A8.

Monday Dec 05, 2005
Trials Demonstrate That Earlier Use of DMARDs and MTX Improve Juvenile Arthritis Outcomes 
Earlier use of second-line medications such as methotrexate or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in juvenile arthritis may account for the improved outcomes that rheumatologists have observed in recent years…  Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 126.

Friday Dec 02, 2005
New Study Indicates Fear of Addiction Among Other Surprising Reasons for Poor Adherence to Bisphosphonate Therapy
While lack of adherence to bisphosphonates is well-known, recent research has shed new light on possible causes, including difficulties in following prescribing instructions, frequency of dosing schedules, potential drug-drug interactions, and fear of addiction…  Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 625.

Friday Dec 02, 2005
Study Highlights Risks, Better Outcomes for Pregnant Patients With Lupus/RA
Although pregnancy outcomes for women with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis have improved considerably as a result of careful monitoring throughout gestation, this group of patients still faces a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications, including poor intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia, and also has longer hospital stays than women in the general population... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 991.

Friday Dec 02, 2005
New Gout Drug PEG-Uricase May Benefit Severe, Refractory Patients
A new study has found that multiple doses of PEG-uricase, a novel polyethylene glycol conjugate of porcine uricase (urate oxidase), has shown substantial and sustained reductions in plasma urate levels in patients with severe, refractory gout... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 1836.

Tuesday Nov 29, 2005
Leading Rheumatologists Sound Off on Limitations of GAIT Study
The initial results of the $14 million National Institutes of Health Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial failed to show any real benefit for patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis, leaving many rheumatologists in a quandary about what they should tell patients regarding the use of these readily available supplements... Clegg DO, et al. Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 622.

Tuesday Nov 29, 2005
Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) More Effective Than Cyclophosphamide in Lupus Nephritis
Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), an immunosuppressive agent approved for the prevention of transplant rejection, may emerge as an effective alternative to IV cyclophosphamide, the current standard of care for lupus nephritis patients... Ginzler, EM, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:2219-2228.

Tuesday Nov 29, 2005
Bio-Rad Granted FDA Clearance to Market Interpretive Software for Autoimmune Testing
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc, of Hercules, California, a manufacturer and distributor of life science research products and clinical diagnostics, announced...

Tuesday Nov 22, 2005
Belimumab Data Show Only Modest Clinical Effect in RA
While belimumab is biologically active, safe, and somewhat effective for RA, the magnitude of its effect may not portend a bright future for the novel anti-BlyS agent... Presented at: 69th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 1920.

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
Long-Term Follow-Up Results Show Durable RA Responses with Abatacept
Abatacept, the selective co-stimulation modulator of T-cell activation, has demonstrated sustained clinical benefit during 18 months of treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who had inadequate responses to anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-α) therapy... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.

Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
REFLEX Trial Demonstrates Efficacy of Rituximab in RA Resistant to Anti-TNF Therapy
Rituximab, an anti-CD20+ B-cell-targeted monoclonal antibody with an established therapeutic record in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, has shown statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who are refractory to anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) therapy... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.

Tuesday Nov 15, 2005
Thalidomide Shows Promise in Refractory Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Thalidomide improves systemic clinical features, lab parameters, and joint symptoms in most patients with refractory systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (So-JIA), but caution is urged due to possible neurologic side effects... Badot V, et al. Presented at: 69^th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.

Sunday Nov 13, 2005
Targeted Anti-Cytokine Therapies Emerging as the Future of RA Treatment
Although tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) blockade is the new standard of care for patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), other targeted therapies—including abatacept, B-cell-depleting agents, and anti-interleukin-6 monoclonal receptor antibodies—are emerging to fill the unmet needs of RA patients ... Maini R. Presented at: 69th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.

Monday Nov 07, 2005
Underpowered Randomized Clinical Trials Common in Rheumatology
A new literature review reports that underpowered randomized clinical trials (RCTs), which have been criticized as unethical and inadequate tests of an underlying hypothesis, accounted for approximately 21% of phase III RCTs of adult rheumatologic diseases published in English during 2001–2002 ... Keen HI, et al. J Rheum. 2005;32:2083-2088.

Friday Nov 04, 2005
Study Provides Additional Clues to the Causes of Systemic Sclerosis and the Potential Efficacy of Paclitaxel
New research in a murine model points to the ability of low-dose paclitaxel (Taxol®) to modulate transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) and lessen fibrosis in systemic sclerosis patients, findings that also provide additional clues to the pathogenesis of the disease... Liu X, et al. PloS Med. 2005;2:e354

Friday Nov 04, 2005
BeSt Study Reinforces Importance of Aggressive Combination Therapy for Early RA
The latest results from the BeSt study show that initial combination therapy with either prednisone or infliximab resulted in earlier functional improvement and less radiographic damage after 1 year among early rheumatoid arthritis patients when compared with either sequential monotherapy or step-up combination therapy... Goekoop-Ruiterman YPM, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:3381–3390.

Tuesday Nov 01, 2005
CAT and Abbott Resolve Royalty Dispute Regarding Humira®
Cambridge Antibody Technology Group PLC (CAT), a British biotechnology company headquartered in Cambridge, England, and Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories have reached an agreement...

Monday Oct 31, 2005
Meta-Analysis Points to the Need to Customize Treatment for Subtypes of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
With the increased recognition that radiologic joint and cartilage damage occurs earlier in the course of juvenile idiopathic arthritis than originally thought, a recently released literature review underlines the importance of taking a customized approach to treatment of the disease. However, despite treatment advances, researchers argue that there is no evidence-based consensus on the optimal treatment regimen for several subtypes of JIA. Hashkes PJ, Laxer RM. JAMA. 2005;294:1671-1684.

Monday Oct 24, 2005
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Secures Funding to Commence Re-enrollment of Phase III Trial of Riquent® for Lupus Renal Disease
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Corporation of San Diego, California, announced that it has entered into an agreement...

Monday Oct 17, 2005
Autoimmune Disease May Contribute to Increase in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Particularly Among Women
Providing further insight into the dramatic rise in the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) over the last 20 years, a new study suggests that autoimmune diseases, as well as the potent immunosuppressive drugs commonly used for their treatment, may partly account for the increase in NHL, especially among women... Cuttner J, et al. J Rheumatol. 2005;32:1884-1887.

Friday Oct 07, 2005
Marked Decrease in Pregnancy Loss Seen in Women with Lupus

Largely due to improvements in perinatal monitoring and disease management, there has been a significant decrease in pregnancy loss among women with systemic lupus erythematosus over the past 40 years . . . Clark CA, et al. J Rheumatol. 2005;32:1709-1712.

Thursday Oct 06, 2005
New Study Results Suggest That Two Courses of Parathyroid Hormone May Reduce Fracture Risk in Patients with Severe Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis patients who remain at high risk for fracture despite a course of parathyroid hormone (PTH) therapy may benefit from a second discrete course of PTH . . . Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23–27, 2005; Nashville, Tenn. Presentation 1079.

Wednesday Oct 05, 2005
New Bone Biopsy Data Support Safety of Dual-Acting Strontium Ranelate for Osteoporosis 
A potentially dual-acting new osteoporosis medication, strontium ranelate, may safely decrease bone resorption while increasing bone formation, rebalancing bone turnover toward formation . . . Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23–27, 2005; Nashville, Tenn. Abstract 1084.

Thursday Sep 29, 2005
Study Suggests Statins May Lower Fracture Risk in Men
A study of almost 30,000 elderly men suggests that statins, in addition to their lipid-lowering benefit, may also reduce fracture risk...Scranton RE, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:2007-2012.

Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Novel Method of Upfront Loading of Bisphosphonates Found to Improve Spinal Bone Mineral Density and Reduce Fractures
Upfront loading of oral or intravenous bisphosphonates followed by maintenance dosing may enhance the ability of these agents to reduce fracture risk compared with currently used dosing regimens... Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-27, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee. Abstract M369.

Monday Sep 26, 2005
Osiris's Allogeneic Bone Matrix–Containing Stem Cells to Be Distributed by Blackstone Medical
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc, of Baltimore, Maryland, a leader in adult stem-cell therapies that prevent and treat orthopaedic disorders, has signed an agreement...

Sunday Sep 25, 2005
Beta-Blockers May Preserve Bone Density and Reduce Fracture Risk
Preliminary results from a new study indicate that use of beta-blockers is associated with a reduction in osteoporotic fractures, higher bone mineral density, better femoral neck geometry, and beneficial effects on trabecular microarchitecture...Presented at: 27^th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-25, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.

Sunday Sep 25, 2005
C-Reactive Protein May Help Predict Fracture Risk
A new study provides evidence that circulating levels of C-reactive protein may independently predict fracture risk in postmenopausal women... Presented at: 27^th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-25, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.

Saturday Sep 24, 2005
Orthopaedic Surgeons, Neurologists Often Fail to Refer Patients for DEXA Exams
Even with the availability of training programs and educational literature, it is rare for many orthopaedic surgeons and neurologists, physicians who regularly see patients at high risk for fractures, to refer these patients for assessment of bone mineral density (BMD)... Presented at: 27^th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-25, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.

Wednesday Sep 21, 2005
Low-Dose Safer Than High-Dose Steroids in Rheumatoid Arthritis
A new literature review suggests that the toxicity associated with glucocorticoids is largely a result of higher doses, a finding that may serve to restore greater use of long-term, low-dose glucorticoid therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)... Da Silva JAP, et al. Ann Rheum Dis [serial online]. August 26, 2005.

Tuesday Sep 20, 2005
Link Between Genetic Factors and Osteoporotic Fractures in the Elderly
The predisposition for osteoporotic fractures is stronger than has been previously estimated, especially for early occurring fractures. A search for genes and gene-environmental interactions that affect early osteoporotic fracture risk is likely to be beneficial, but fracture-prevention should be focused on lifestyle habits...Michaëlsson K, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1825-1830.

Tuesday Sep 20, 2005
MedImmune to Acquire Privately Held Cellective Therapeutics
MedImmune Inc of Gaithersburg, Maryland, has announced its intent to acquire privately held Cellective Therapeutics, Inc, a 5-person early-stage biopharmaceutical company...

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.

Monday Sep 19, 2005
Abuse-Resistant Oxycodone Clears Trial
Remoxy, a new oxycodone compound, may change the tide of abuse by making injection or snorting difficult due to its sticky, high-viscosity formulation...

Friday Sep 16, 2005
Abatacept Beneficial to Patients with RA Refractory to TNF-α Inhibitors
Abatacept has shown benefit to rheumatoid arthritis patients with inadequate response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors, according to the results of a randomized, double-blind study...Genovese MC, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:1114-1123.

Tuesday Sep 13, 2005
Two New Treatments Show Promise in Paget's Disease
Zoledronic acid and osteoprotegerin found to be promising new therapies for the management of Paget's disease... Reid IR, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:898-908; Cundy MD, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:918-923.

Friday Sep 09, 2005
FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee Gives Preliminary Go-ahead to Abatacept
A Food and Drug Administration Arthritis Advisory Committee unanimously recommended approval of Orencia®  (abatacept) Tuesday, stating that the benefits of the costimulation blocker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) outweighed the risks of serious infections like pneumonia and some cancers.

Thursday Sep 08, 2005
Cyclophosphamide/Stem Cell Transplantation Protocol Shows Promise for Refractory Autoimmune Diseases
Japanese researchers report promising phase I-II trial results showing that high-dose cyclophosphamide supported by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is feasible and may be effective in the treatment of severe and refractory autoimmune diseases such as systemic sclerosis and SLE...Tsukamoto H, et al. Ann Rheum Dis online August 26, 2005

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.

Thursday Sep 01, 2005
RA May Be Becoming Milder With Time
New research suggests that rheumatoid arthritis may have become a milder disease in recent years, perhaps due to more aggressive treatment... Welsing PMJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2616-2624.

Friday Aug 19, 2005
Stem-Cell Transplantation Temporarily Improves Function and Health Status in RA Patients
New research helps delineate some of the benefits and potential limitations of high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in patients with severe refractory rheumatoid arthritis. Teng YK, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2272-2276.

Wednesday Aug 10, 2005
Abatacept Reduces Disease Activity and Improves Function in RA Patients Who Failed MTX
Results of a 12-month study show that the first in a class of agents designed to block a costimulatory pathway required for optimum activation of T cells may play an important role in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), particularly among patients unresponsive to methotrexate (MTX)... Kremer JM, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2263-2271.

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/.

Tuesday Aug 02, 2005
Etanercept Does Not Increase Risk of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in RA Patients
Unlike cyclosporine, etanercept does not appear to increase risk of skin cancer in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients... Lebwohl M, et al. Arch Dermatol. 2005;141:861-864.

Tuesday Jul 26, 2005
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Is There a Phthalate Connection?
Murine studies suggest that exposure to phthalates may increase susceptibility to SLE and possibly other autoimmune disorders... Lim S-Y and Ghosh SK. J Autoimmun. 2005;25:33-45

Monday Jul 25, 2005
Government Crackdown on Palladone and Fentanyl Continues to Fuel Fear of Prescribing Pain Medication
Withdrawal of Palladone in the US, the advisory report issued on the fentanyl patch, and the continued DEA scrutiny of doctors who prescribe opioids and other narcotic analgesics may have a chilling effect on the optimal use of these agents for the relief of acute and persistent pain.

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 19, 2005
Acupuncture Provides Short-Term Benefits in Knee OA
Acupuncture improves pain and functioning in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), but only in the short term... Witt C, et al. Lancet. 2005;366:136-143.

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

Tuesday Jun 28, 2005
Botox Injections Improve Symptoms in Patients With Raynaud's Phenomenon
Injections of botulinum toxin type A may accelerate the rewarming process by inhibiting vasoconstriction in patients with secondary Raynaud's phenomenon... Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Monday Jun 20, 2005
Low-Dose Steroids Prevent Bone Loss in RA
Despite its established potential to cause bone loss, the anti-inflammatory effects of prednisolone slow the loss of hand bone density in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis...Haugeberg G, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1293-1297.

Thursday Jun 16, 2005
TEMPO Demonstrates Effects of TNF-α Blockade Over 3 Years
The benefits of continuous treatment with etanercept and methotrexate persist for at least 3 years, and, as more patients achieve remission, researchers' focus may turn to determining whether patients can safely discontinue TNF inhibitors...Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Wednesday Jun 15, 2005
Apratastat, an Experimental Dual Acting Biologic Agent Shows Early Promise for RA
A novel, oral, small-molecule dual inhibitor of TNF-α-converting enzyme and matrix metalloproteinases has been shown in early trials to target two of the factors known to cause inflammation in RA... Fleischmann R, et al. Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Wednesday Jun 15, 2005
Alefacept in Combination With Methotrexate Evaluated for the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis
A 6-month study of the memory T cell suppressor alefacept suggests that the agent will be an effective tool in the armamentarium against PsA... Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Monday Jun 13, 2005
IL-6 Blocker Shows Promise in Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
More evidence emerging on the therapeutic potential of the experimental IL-6 blocker tocilizumab in the management of severe SJIA... Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Monday Jun 13, 2005
Smokers Have More Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Than Nonsmokers, but Quitting May Help Reduce Disease Severity
New research presented at EULAR increases our understanding of how smoking impacts RA, and emphasizes the symptomatic benefits for those who stop...presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Saturday Jun 11, 2005
Methotrexate Together With Folic Acid Slashes Cardiovascular Risk in RA Patients
Study highlights cardioprotective role for MTX plus folic acid in RA and identifies disease activity as an important risk factor for heart disease...Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Friday Jun 10, 2005
Experts Discuss the Interaction Between Environmental and Genetic Risk for RA
A noted epidemiologist and rheumatologist review the multifactorial interplay between the unmodifiable genetic component of the disease and environmental risk factors that account for approximately 50% of RA incidence, and suggest that certain lifestyle modifications may lower RA risk...Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

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.

Friday Jun 10, 2005
Treatment of RA Reduces Cardiovascular Mortality
Analysis of a large RA database reveals that treatment with MTX or anti-TNF-α drugs causes a significant decrease in mortality, specifically in death due to cardiovascular and pulmonary disease... Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Friday Jun 10, 2005
Angiotech Out-licenses Biomaterial for Cartilage and Orthopaedic Tissue Regeneration
Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the incorporation of pharmaceutical compounds into implantable medical devices and biomaterials, announced that it has licensed its ChondroGel^TM biomaterial to Histogenics Corporation for use with its NeoCart^TM cartilage implant in cartilage and orthopedic tissue regeneration applications.

Thursday Jun 09, 2005
Dr. Gary Williams Weighs in on the Coxib Controversy
Gary Williams MD, PhD, chairman of the department of medicine at Scripps Clinic Medical Group, and co-chair of the symposium Clarifying the Risk/Benefit of COX-2 Selective Inhibitor Use at the 6th EULAR Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, spoke with CIAOMed on Wednesday regarding the current controversy over the fate of the COX-2 inhibitors

Thursday Jun 09, 2005
Trials Examine Efficacy and Safety of B-cell Depletion in RA
Favorable results from the DANCER trial and other studies of rituximab suggest that this anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody may be a promising therapy, particularly for refractory patients... Emery P, et al. Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR;  June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Wednesday Jun 08, 2005
OsteoBiologics' PolyGraftR Receives Canadian Clearance for Bone Void Repair
OsteoBiologics, Inc, a San Antonio, Texas-based developer and manufacturer of bioabsorbable, tissue-engineered scaffolds for the repair and replacement of musculoskeletal tissues, announced that it has received a Medical Device License authorizing the marketing in Canada of its PolyGraftR products for bone void repair.

Wednesday Jun 08, 2005
Future of Vasculitis Treatments Appears Promising
Experts urge revisiting TNF-α blockade as induction therapy in vasculitis and look forward to B-cell depletion agents in the future...The Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR. Vienna, Austria, June 8-11, 2005

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.

Monday Jun 06, 2005
Trials Outline Effective Strategies for the Use of Existing Therapies in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Four new studies highlight ways to use non-steroidals, biologics, and methotrexate in ankylosing spondylitis. Marzo-Ortega H, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005 May 26; [Epub ahead of print].

Friday Jun 03, 2005
Recombinant Version of Alpha-Fetoprotein May Hold Promise in RA and Other Autoimmune Diseases
As a Phase II trial begins, experts are cautiously optimistic that the experimental immunomodulating agent may be safer than existing RA treatments, and that the work may help explain why RA tends to remit during pregnancy...National Jewish Medical and Research Center [press release]; June 2, 2005.

Wednesday Jun 01, 2005
More Evidence for the 'FitzGerald Hypothesis' on the Relationship of Coxibs and Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Vascular remodeling may interact with a predisposition to hypertension and atherosclerosis, contributing to the gradual increase in cardiovascular risk during extended periods of treatment with COX-2 inhibitors...Rudic RD, et al. Circ Res. Published online May 19, 2005.

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.

Tuesday May 17, 2005
Study Suggests That Standardized Criteria Are Needed to Gauge Remission in RA
Rates of remission vary by criteria, but experts agree that new standards should include both clinical and radiographic measures. Mäkinen H, et al. J Rheumatol. 2005;32:796-800.

Tuesday May 17, 2005
Medarex's Fully Human Monoclonal Antibody Targeting IP-10 (CXCL10) Starts Phase I Trial
Medarex Inc, announced the initiation of a multicenter, single-dose, dose-escalation, 32-patient Phase I clinical trial for MDX-1100, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the chemokine IP-10 (CXCL10), for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

Tuesday May 17, 2005
Infliximab Approved for Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis
Infliximab joins etanercept as an anti-TNF-α treatment option for patients with active psoriatic arthritis...FDA approves Remicade® for ninth indication: psoriatic arthritis [press release]. Malvern, Pa: Centocor, Inc; May 17, 2005.

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

Friday May 06, 2005
Use of DMARDs and Referral to Rheumatologists Too Low in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
A pre-biologic therapy era population study in British Columbia suggests that too few physicians are adhering to treatment guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis for early and aggressive intervention, delaying the "window of opportunity" when effective therapy can induce radiographic regression... Lacaille D, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;53:241-248.

Thursday May 05, 2005
Etanercept May Not Be Optimal for Treatment of Systemic Onset JRA
New results showing that more than 50% of SOJRA patients have a poor or limited response to etanercept suggest that alternative therapies are needed...Kimura Y, et al. J Rheumatol. 2005;32:935-942.

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].

Friday Apr 22, 2005
High-Dose Methotrexate Particularly Effective for Polyarticular Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
A head-to-head trial comparing leflunomide and methotrexate monotherapy showed that both drugs demonstrated significant improvement in ACR Pediatric 30 responses through a 48-week course of therapy...Silverman E, et al. New Engl J Med. 2005;352:1655-1666.

Thursday Apr 21, 2005
New Evidence Suggests That TNF Inhibitors Do Not Confer Risk of Lymphoma or Solid Tumors in RA Patients
Two studies examining large Swedish cohorts attempt to clarify the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis, tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockade, and the risk of malignancy...Askling J, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. April, 20 2005; [Epub ahead of print]

Monday Apr 18, 2005
Herbal Supplements Carry Risk of Adverse Interaction with Arthritis Medications
High rates of polypharmacy and comorbidity may put rheumatology patients at particularly high risk for dangerous drug interactions involving unconventional medication...Holden W, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64:790.

Tuesday Apr 12, 2005
New Lupus Public Service Campaign Seeks to Raise Awareness and Speed Diagnosis
The Lupus Research Institute and other organizations hope the new campaign will alert patients to the often vague signs and symptoms of lupus earlier in the course of the disease...Lupus Research Institute [press release]. April 6, 2005.

Thursday Apr 07, 2005
FDA Orders Valdecoxib (Bextra) Withdrawn, Citing No Added Advantage
The agency also mandated black box warnings for celecoxib and stricter label warnings on traditional NSAIDs, including over-the-counter products... US Food and Drug Administration teleconference April 7, 2005.

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.

Friday Apr 01, 2005
Better Communication Skills May Help RA Patients Cope with Pain
Two new studies looking at stress and psychosocial functioning in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus have found that individuals who have difficulty expressing their thoughts and emotions have greater disease activity and pain than their more communicative counterparts...Presented at: 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society; March 30-April 2, 2005; Boston, Massachusetts.

Thursday Mar 31, 2005
Lidocaine Patch May Be as Effective as Oral Medications for Improving Osteoarthritis Pain
As physicians seek alternatives to coxibs, traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids, a new study suggests that lidocaine patches may play a role in treating localized knee pain due to OA...Galer B, et al. Presented at: 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society; March 30-April 2, 2005; Boston, Massachusetts.

Thursday Mar 31, 2005
Opiate Abuse Increasing Among Pain Patients As Well As Nonmedical Users
Opiate abuse and diversion are on the rise and, despite commonly held beliefs, they are also common among chronic pain patients; buprenorphine may be a new tool to curb misuse...Presented at: 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society; March 30-April 2, 2005; Boston, Massachussetts.

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.

Tuesday Mar 22, 2005
IL-6 Blocker "Promising" in Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Small study demonstrating efficacy and safety of MRA in juvenile arthritis, combined with promising results in treatment of other conditions, suggests that IL-6 inhibitors may play an important role in controlling inflammatory disease...Yokota S, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:818-825.

Tuesday Mar 15, 2005
Trials of Gout Drug Febuxostat Demonstrate Promising Efficacy
Results of Phase II and Phase III studies of the novel xanthine oxidase inhibitor suggest that it may play an important role in treating hyperuricemic patients with renal insufficiency and allopurinol hypersensitivity...Becker MA, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:916-923.

Wednesday Mar 09, 2005
First CINOD Fails to Show Gastrointestinal Protection in Osteoarthritis Trial
Despite promising preclinical data, an experimental COX-inhibiting nitric oxide donator does not cause fewer ulcers than naproxen in osteoarthritis patients; Astra Zeneca shuts down the project...Lohmander LS. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64:449-456

Monday Mar 07, 2005
Latest Trial Results for Biologics in Psoriatic Arthritis
Highlighted results from the American Academy of Dermatology meeting confirm the efficacy of anti-TNF therapy in treating psoriatic arthritis...63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, February18-22, 2005; New Orleans, La.

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

Monday Feb 28, 2005
New Minimally Invasive Knee Arthroplasty Techniques Present Promise, Challenges
Direct-to-consumer marketing has spurred patient demand for minimally invasive joint replacements, but widespread application of these procedures is limited by a lack of experienced surgeons and of data supporting their use... The 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; February 23-27, 2005; Washington, DC.

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
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.

Wednesday Feb 23, 2005
New Findings Confirm Predictive Power of Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies in Patients With Very Early Rheumatoid Arthritis
Study offers further evidence that the presence of antibodies to CCP in addition to RF in patients with early inflammatory arthropathy can forecast the development of RA... Raza K, et al. J Rheumatol. 2005;32:231-238.

Saturday Feb 19, 2005
FDA Panel Splits 17 to 15 in Favor of Putting Rofecoxib Back on the Market
An FDA advisory panel recommends a strong black box warning for cardiovascular risk, dose restrictions, and strict guidelines to indications for use of Vioxx...US FDA Joint Meeting of the Arthritis Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; February 18, 2005.

Friday Feb 18, 2005
FDA Advisory Panel Votes to Keep Pfizer COX-2 Inhibitors Celecoxib and Valdecoxib on the Market
An FDA advisory panel concluded today that while safety concerns clearly exist with celecoxib and valdecoxib, their overall benefits outweigh potential CV risks... US FDA Joint Meeting of the Arthritis Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; February 18, 2005.

Friday Feb 18, 2005
Despite Proven GI Benefits, Problems Predicted for Newest Coxibs Seeking FDA Approval
Two coxibs currently in the approval pipeline are likely to face substantial hurdles as an FDA advisory panel determines the fate of the COX-2 inhibitor class...US FDA Joint Meeting of the Arthritis Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; February 17, 2005.

Thursday Feb 17, 2005
Anti-CCP Antibodies Detected in Psoriatic Arthritis Patients
New research suggests that the specificity of this marker may lead to more precise diagnostic criteria for this broad spectrum disease...Vander Cruyssen B, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005. [Epub ahead of print]

Thursday Feb 17, 2005
Pfizer, Merck & Co Grapple Over Cardiovascular Risk Associated With Coxibs
With the fate of a drug class on the line, all eyes are on an FDA advisory panel as they assess the data on coxibs and make recommendations that could lead to a labeling change or their withdrawal from the market... FDA joint meeting of the Arthritis Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; February 16, 2005.

Thursday Feb 17, 2005
FDA Whistleblower Cites Unpublished Data on Dose-Dependent Cardiovascular Risk of Coxibs
The FDA advisory panel on COX-2 inhibitors heard testimony today from a leading voice in the movement to restrict their use... US FDA Joint Meeting of the Arthritis Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; February 16, 2005.

Tuesday Feb 15, 2005
Meta-Analysis Shows Coxibs Raise Blood Pressure Relative to Traditional NSAIDs
Analysis of pooled data provides additional evidence of cardiovascular risk associated with coxibs and suggests differing effects among members of the class...Aw T-J, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1-7.

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

Tuesday Feb 08, 2005
Rofecoxib but not other NSAIDs Increases Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction Among Low-Risk Elderly Population
New research is consistent with the VIGOR and APPROVe trials, which led to drug's abrupt withdrawal, and suggests that cardiovascular side effects may not be a class effect & Levesque LE, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2005; 152:1-10.

Friday Feb 04, 2005
Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Face Higher Risk for Congestive Heart Failure and Unrecognized Coronary Heart Disease
Two population-based studies suggest that the heightened risk of heart disease may be attributed to the systemic inflammation that characterizes RA rather than traditional risk factors&Nicola PJ. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:412-420; Maradit-Kremers H. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:402-411.

Thursday Feb 03, 2005
Crohn's Disease Patients With Attenuated Response to Infliximab May Respond to Adalimumab
Mimicking the paradigm seen with TNF-blockade in rheumatoid arthritis, preliminary data suggest that switching infliximab nonresponders to adalimumab may improve the clinical response and reduce disease activity...Papadakis KA. Am J Gastroenterol. 2005;100:75-79.

Monday Jan 31, 2005
New Research Highlights Generation Gap, Ethnic Divide Among Chronic Pain Patients
While African Americans experience more pain and related negative effects than do caucasians, young adults across both ethnic groups do not cope as well with chronic pain as do their older counterparts...Baker TA, Green CR. Pain Med. 2005;6:29-38.

Monday Jan 31, 2005
Genetic Discovery May Lead to New Lupus Treatments
Two newly discovered genes may help lupus researchers crack the interferon code, leading to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of SLE and to novel drug targets... Sigurdsson S, et al. Am J Hum Genet. 2005;18:76-79.

Monday Jan 24, 2005
Continuing Concerns of the Cardiovascular Risks of the COX-2s
As the European Medicines Agency is set to determine the fate of COX-2s in the European community and the US Food and Drug Administration readies for a rare advisory meeting in mid-February, the journal Circulation has presented a meta-analysis of two clinical trials that provide further evidence that valdecoxib increases cardiovascular risk in CABG patients, including a study that provides a better understanding of the mechanisms in these agents that may accelerate the atherogenic process& Egan KM, et al. Circulation. 2005; 111:334-342.

Friday Jan 21, 2005
The Promise and Peril of the Next Generation of COX-2 Inhibitors
CIAOMed continues its series on the impact of the withdrawal of rofecoxib (VioxxR) from the worldwide market. The first installment (CIAOMed.org; November 9, 2004) discussed possible mechanisms of the cardiovascular (CV) risk observed with rofecoxib, and whether they apply to other selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. The second (CIAOMed.org; December 10, 2004) examined the impact of recent disclosures about COX-2s and CV risk on patient management. This third and final installment focuses on the clues to CV risk profiles of the second-generation COX-2 inhibitors and the role these newer drugs will play if they are approved for marketing in the US& Brune K, Hinz B. Scand J Rheumatol. 2004;33:1-6.

Friday Jan 21, 2005
Interpreting TARGET: Who Faces CV Risk?
Rheumatologists interviewed by CIAOMed express caution about the use of lumiracoxib and disagree with some of the interpretations of TARGET findings...Farkouh ME, et al.  Lancet. 2004;364:675-684.

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.

Tuesday Jan 18, 2005
One-Third of US Adults Including Growing Numbers of Arthritis Patients Turn to Complementary and Alternative Medicine
In response to continued use of these products, rheumatologists are urged to become more aware of nonprescription medications and drug-herb interactions...Tindle HA. Altern Ther Health Med. 2005;11:42-49.

Wednesday Dec 22, 2004
UVA-1 Light Useful as Adjuvant Therapy for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
A new study by Dutch researchers has found that UVA-1 cold light therapy significantly decreases validated disease activity indices in patients with moderately active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without causing significant adverse effects... Polderman MCA, et al. Rheumatology. 2004;43:1402-1404.

Wednesday Dec 22, 2004
National Institutes of Health Halts Alzheimer's Prevention Trial Involving Aleve and Celebrex
Federal officials noted that patients taking the OTC formulation of naproxen had a 50% greater rate of cardiovascular (CV) events compared with placebo; those in the COX-2 inhibitor arm of the trial saw no increased CV risk...National Institutes of Health, December 20, 2004.

Tuesday Dec 21, 2004
SLE Patients Treated with TNF-ÃŽalpha Blockade Show Improvement
Study indicates that TNF-alpha blocker may reduce SLE disease activity in patients' joints and kidneys, without serious adverse events; need for larger clinical trials cited... Aringer M, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50: 3161-3169.

Wednesday Dec 15, 2004
Novel Class of Bone Resorption Inhibitors Is Identified
Newly identified biphenyl derivatives, which are shown to inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro and prevent ovariectomy-induced bone loss in vivo, may have potential therapeutic advantages over bisphosphonates in the treatment of diseases such as osteoporosis, Paget's disease, and cancer-associated bone disorders....van Hof RJ, et al. J Bone Miner Res. 2004;19:1651-1660.

Tuesday Dec 14, 2004
Comparative Trial Analyzes MI Risk Associated With Rofecoxib and Celecoxib
A new study that examines histories of analgesic use in recent MI patients revealed a significant difference in the levels of risk for MI associated with rofecoxib and celecoxib. The study concludes that this is due not to an increase in risk associated with rofecoxib, but rather to a significant decrease in risk in patients using celecoxib&Kimmel SE, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142(3).

Monday Dec 13, 2004
Clinical Decisions With COX-2s: Balancing GI Protection and Cardiovascular Risk
CIAOMed continues its series about the impact of the withdrawal of rofecoxib (VioxxR) from the worldwide market. The first installment (CIAOMed.org; November 9, 2004) discussed possible mechanisms of the cardiovascular (CV) risk observed with rofecoxib, and whether they apply to other cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. This second installment examines the impact of recent disclosures on changes in the selection of appropriate candidates for COX-2 inhibitors, on the reemergence of traditional antiinflammatory agents such as nonselective nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for patients at risk for gastrointestinal complications, and on therapeutic decisions for those who require aspirin to maintain cardiovascular protection& Simon LS. Advanced Studies in Medicine. 2004;4:522-523.

Friday Dec 10, 2004
Occupational Risk Factors for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus May Include Mercury Exposure and Pesticide Mixing
Epidemiologic study indicates that occupational mercury exposure and some dental and agricultural work are significantly associated with a greater risk for developing SLE and that previously suspected occupations may not present this risk...Cooper GS, et al. J Rheumatol. 2004;31:1928-1933.

Friday Dec 03, 2004
Leflunomide Associated With Lower Rate of Adverse Events Than Other DMARDs, Large Cohort Study Finds
Study of more than 40,000 patients showed that the AE profile of leflunomide, alone or in combination with methotrexate, was comparable to that of other DMARDs used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis...Cannon GW. J Rheumatol. 2004;31:1906-1911.

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.

Thursday Nov 18, 2004
Questionnaire Helps Screen for Risk of Opioid Misuse Among Chronic Pain Patients
Self-administered screening tool may increase physicians' comfort level with identifying long-term opioid candidates at low-risk for aberrant drug behavior, as well as those at higher risk...Butler SF, et al. Pain. 2004;112:65-75.

Tuesday Nov 16, 2004
Long-Term, High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise May Benefit the Joints of the Feet
Contrary to the perception that an intensive, weight-bearing exercise regimen increases the rate of radiological joint damage of the hands and feet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a Dutch study suggests that a long-term, high-intensity program that results in improvement in aerobic fitness and involves 'impact-generating' activities may in fact have a protective effect on the joints of the feet. DeJong Z, et al. Ann Rheum Dis . 2004;63:1399-1405.

Monday Nov 15, 2004
New Approaches Show Promise in Refining Treatment and Assessment of SLE

Autologous stem cell transplant and rituximab show promise in refractory disease, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate test may be more useful than CRP in showing disease activity... Alexander T et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 19, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

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.

Thursday Nov 04, 2004
Next generation COX-2 Inhibitor Arcoxia Receives FDA Approvable Letter
Final approval of etoricoxib must await FDA review of additional safety and efficacy data... Baraf HSB, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; San Antonio, Tex.

Tuesday Nov 02, 2004
Patients' Readiness to Self-Manage Chronic Pain Associated With Improvement in Treatment Protocols and Coping Skills
Interventions to increase chronic pain patients' motivation is shown to increase patient engagement in pain treatment and contribute to improved long-term outcomes…Jensen MP, et al. Pain. 2004;111:84-95.

Monday Oct 25, 2004
Leflunomide-Methotrexate Combination Equivalent in Safety to Leflunomide Alone for RA
A five-year study involving over 5000 RA patients showed no increase in mortality or long-term serious adverse events... Ta KT, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 20, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Monday Oct 25, 2004
Leflunomide-Methotrexate Combination Equivalent in Safety to Leflunomide Alone for RA

A five-year study involving over 5000 RA patients showed no increase in mortality or long-term serious adverse events... Ta KT, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 20, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Friday Oct 22, 2004
New Drug Appears to Lower Serum Urate Levels in Gout Patients
Phase III trial reported that febuxostat reduced frequency of flares as well as gouty tophus better than allopurinol... Becker MA, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 21, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Friday Oct 22, 2004
Infliximab Therapy Markedly Improves Skin Symptoms in Psoriatic Arthritis
Independent of the arthritis response, clinicians should continue to use the anti-tumor necrosis factor agent infliximab for patients with active psoriatic arthritis because the drug markedly reduces skin symptoms... Mease P, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 20, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Thursday Oct 21, 2004
Leflunomide-Methotrexate Combination Equivalent in Safety to Leflunomide Alone for RA
A five-year study involving over 5000 RA patients showed no increase in mortality or long-term serious adverse events... Ta KT, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 20, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Thursday Oct 21, 2004
State-of-the-Art Lectures Reflect Pioneering Research in Rheumatology in the Past Year

The speakers highlighted new research in basic science, including genetic mechanisms at work in RA, and in clinical studies that further understanding of the efficacy of various therapeutic strategies…Barton A, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004.;50:1117-1121; Edwards JC, et al. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:2572-2581.

Thursday Oct 21, 2004
Treating Early and in Combination May Lessen Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis
An emerging body of clinical evidence supports the concept that combination therapy with an antitumor necrosis factor-α agent and methotrexate brings symptomatic relief and reduces radiographic progression... Breedveld FC, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 20, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Wednesday Oct 20, 2004
Awards Given to Key Investigators for Clinical Research; Community and Professional Service
The second awards session reflected the diversity of contributions rheumatologists make in scientific research and in their communities.

Wednesday Oct 20, 2004
Adalimumab Markedly Reduces Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms
Striking benefits are shown for psoriatic arthritis patients' skin and joint symptoms with adalimumab vs placebo... Mease PJ, et al. Presented at Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 19, 2004; San Antonio, Texas

Wednesday Oct 20, 2004
New Phase III Trial With Abatacept Gives Hope to Methotrexate Nonresponders

A phase III clinical trial reported that nearly half of rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving monthly injections of the T-cell inactivator abatacept achieved at least a 50% reduction in symptoms... Kremer J, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 19, 2004; San Antonio, Texas.

Tuesday Oct 19, 2004
Glucosamine Supplements Show Demonstrable Benefit for Osteoarthritis Symptoms

A newly released report from the World Health Organization documents the disease-modifying clinical endpoints that support the efficacy of this well-known over-the-counter medication... Bruyere O et al. Poster presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 19, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Tuesday Oct 19, 2004
Oral Contraceptives Appear to Be Safe for Most Lupus Patients
Findings from 2 new studies have potential to reverse previous approaches to contraception for women with SLE …. Petri M, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 18, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

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.

Sunday Oct 17, 2004
COX-2 Inhibitor Bextra Found to Increase Cardiac Risk in Patients Undergoing Bypass Surgery
Two weeks after Merck & Co. pulled its cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor rofecoxib (Vioxx) from the market because its use was associated with heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, Pfizer Inc. told doctors that its COX-2 inhibitor valdecoxib (Bextra) increases the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery.

Tuesday Oct 12, 2004
Combination Step-Down Regimen Enhances Disease Control Over Sulfasalazine Monotherapy for RA, Without Adding Cost

A combination regimen consisting of prednisolone, methotrexate, and sulfasalazine may produce more robust clinical responses at equal or lower cost than sulfasalazine alone for the treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis... Korthals-de Bos I et al. J Rheumatol. 2004;31:1709–1716.

Tuesday Oct 12, 2004
Few Patients Undergo Screening or Receive Treatment for Glucocorticoid-induced Osteoporosis

Despite evidence of rapid bone loss associated with chronic oral steroid use, fewer than 25% of men and 50% of women undergo screening or receive treatment for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis... Curtis JR, et al. J Bone Miner Res. 2004;19(suppl 1):S30. Abstract 1114.

Monday Oct 11, 2004
Vitamin D Deficiency May Diminish Effectiveness of Osteoporosis Therapy

Recently released clinical trials data underscore the impact of vitamin D deficiency in at-risk populations, and the importance of the vitamin in strengthening the effects of osteoporosis therapy... Holick MF, et al. J Bone Miner Metab. 2004;19 (suppl 1):S342. Abstract SU583.

Monday Oct 04, 2004
FDA Approves Etanercept as Pre-Filled Syringe, Infliximab as First-Line Therapy for Moderate to Severe RA

The FDA has approved etanercept (Enbrel) as a pre-filled syringe formulation for once weekly use, and granted approval for a supplemental labeling change stating that the medication can induce a major clinical response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In another regulatory decision, the FDA has approved the use of infliximab (Remicade) in combination with methotrexate as a first-line treatment for patients with RA.

Friday Oct 01, 2004
Rofecoxib (Vioxx) Withdrawn, APPROVe Trial Discontinued Early
A study to determine the drug's value in preventing colorectal polyp recurrence showed that patients on rofecoxib had a higher risk of cardiovascular events than did those on placebo.

Thursday Sep 23, 2004
Partner Participation in RA Self-Management May Need Rethinking
(van Lankveld W. J Rheumatol. 2004;31:1738-1745.)

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.

Wednesday Sep 15, 2004
Advances in anti-TNF Therapy for RA

Two studies give insight regarding the time after RA onset to introduce anti-TNF therapy, and which doses to use to get an optimal response. (Baumgartner SW, et al. J Rheumatol. 2004;31:1532-1537; Stern R, Wolfe F. J Rheumatol. 2004;31:1538-1545.)

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
SLE Researchers Encouraged to Use Biomarkers, Surrogate Markers as Study Endpoints; New Research Shows B-Cell Depletion to Have Role in SLE Therapy
(Schiffenbauer J, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50:2415-2422; Looney RJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50:2580-2589.)

Monday Aug 30, 2004
Incidence of Gout Increasing; New Therapies Have Promise to Make Disease More Manageable
(Bieber JD, Terkeltaub RA, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50:2400-2414.)

Friday Aug 27, 2004
Elevated CRP Before Onset of RA

Patients with RA have elevated CRP levels several years before the onset of symptoms, as seen in blood samples drawn when they were blood donors. (Nielen MM, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50:2423-2427.)

Friday Jun 11, 2004
Pain Management Remains a Key Component to Treatment of Inflammatory Conditions
Understanding the mechanisms involved in chronic pain and treating it as effectively as possible is a crucial component to the management of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disease...