Related Articles Results

Thursday Nov 19, 2009
French Government Buys Into Naproxinod
NicOx has submitted an NDA for naproxinod for osteoarthritis, and is raising $149 million for the launch...

Tuesday Nov 03, 2009
Naproxen/Nexium Combo Prevents Ulcers in OA Patients
Combining naproxen esomeprazole magnesium relieves OA pain while protecting the stomach...

Friday Oct 16, 2009
EMG Finds “High Risk” Zone for ACL Tears in Female Athletes
Reduced semitendinosus (ST) and elevated vastus lateralis (VL) activity increase the risk of ACL tear—and taking bits from the ST for ACL repair is probably a mistake...

Thursday Oct 15, 2009
To Scope or Not to Scope in Hip Patients Over 60
Hip arthroscopy may benefit some patients aged 60 and older with femoroacetebular impingement...

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

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...

Tuesday Sep 01, 2009
Strong Thighs May Mean Less Knee Pain for Women
Stronger thigh muscles may help protect women—but not men—from the pain of arthritic knees...

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...

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

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

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

Friday Jul 17, 2009
Excess Weight Speeds Up Osteoarthritis
Being overweight can cause a rapid deterioration of knee cartilage, leading to the development of osteoarthritis...

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

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

Thursday May 21, 2009
Chlamydia May Cause Most Undifferentiated Spondylarthritis
Nearly two-thirds of patients with undifferentiated spondylarthritis have chlamydia in synovial tissue biopsies...

Thursday May 14, 2009
Could a Urine Test Identify Early OA?
Separate sets of collagen degradation markers can differentiate very early knee OA from knee pain that is not due to OA...

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...

Thursday Apr 02, 2009
Hurt Cartilage Harbors Potential OA Cure: Stem Cells
Harnessing the power of chondrogenic progenitor cells in diseased human cartilage may help researchers develop regenerative OA therapies...

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

Tuesday Mar 03, 2009
Tiny Arthroscopic Procedure Patches Up Arthritic Thumb
The most common type of hand arthritis, OA of the thumb, can be successfully repaired using an arthroscopic approach to insert a collagen patch into the carpo-metacarpal space...

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...

Tuesday Feb 03, 2009
Lilly to Pursue OA Pain Indication for Cymbalta
Will OA join depression and fibromyalgia as Cymbalta indications?...

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...

Thursday Dec 11, 2008
One-Shot Synvisc Gets FDA Panel OK
An FDA advisory panel has unanimously recommended approval of Genzyme's Synvisc-One™ single-dose hyalin for knee OA pain...

Tuesday Dec 09, 2008
OA Imaging Explains Subchondral Cysts, Bone Marrow Edema
New OA imaging studies support the bony contusion theory of subchondral cyst formation and show that bone marrow edema in the medial tibia, but not other sites, is a good marker for OA severity...

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

Tuesday Nov 18, 2008
Phosphagenics’ Transdermal Diclofenac Enters Phase I Clinical Trial
The trial will compare the bioavailability and penetration of the topically applied Voltaren^® gel (1% diclofenac sodium topical gel, Novartis), and Phosphagenics’ TPM/diclofenac (at 1% and 2% diclofenac concentrations) for the targeted delivery of the NSAID diclofenac...

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 06, 2008
Outcome of Total Knee Arthroplasties after Renal Transplantation
Total knee arthroplasty has shown to be a safe and effective treatment of knee osteonecrosis and severe osteoarthritis in kidney transplant patients…

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...

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

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…

Wednesday Oct 08, 2008
Fractalkine May Be Key to Unleashed Immune Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Fractalkine (FKN) is emerging as a central player in the RA synovial inflammation, neovascularization, and joint destruction, and also might be link between joint damage and increased cardiovascular risk...

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…

Wednesday Oct 01, 2008
Glucosamine/Chondroitin Stumbles Again in GAIT II Study of Knee OA Progression
2-year data from the GAIT trial show no significant effect of glucosamine with or without chondroitin sulfate on progression of joint damage...

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

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...

Wednesday Sep 17, 2008
Experts Warn the Meniscal Damage Seen on MRI Should Not Drive Knee Surgery Decisions in Middle-Aged, Elderly Persons
Most middle-aged and elderly persons who have meniscal damage that can be seen on MRI have asymptomatic knees, and even in those with symptoms, the pain might not be related to the meniscus...

Monday Sep 15, 2008
Study Rules Against Arthroscopy for Most Knee OA Cases
Arthroscopy is not effective for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA), but an editorialist urges clinicians not to throw out the baby with the bathwater as arthroscopy can—and does—help knee OA patients in whom a coexisting knee problem such as a meniscal tear or a loose piece of cartilage is causing the majority of their symptoms…

Thursday Sep 11, 2008
Almost Half of Adults Will Develop Knee Osteoarthritis by 85
Men and women who are obese during middle age are at the greatest risk for this painful condition…

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

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...

Tuesday Sep 02, 2008
Logical Therapeutics Reports Positive Results from Phase Ib Clinical Study of Naproxen Prodrug; Dosing Well-Tolerated and Plasma Concentrations Achieve Therapeutic Range
In the phase Ib study twice-daily dosing with LT-NS001 for 7 days resulted in plasma concentrations of naproxen within the therapeutic range, with no serious adverse events reported...

Friday Aug 29, 2008
Ligaments Tie Together OA Pathology
Ligaments are emerging as the key to understanding why osteoarthritis develops in nontraumatized joints...

Monday Aug 25, 2008
Emisphere Reports Full Recruitment of Study Evaluating Eligen^® Technology and Salmon Calcitonin on Vertebral Fractures in Postmenopausal Women
Emisphere Technologies announced that recruitment is finished for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study of oral salmon calcitonin in the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women taking calcium and vitamin D...

Thursday Aug 21, 2008
Mesoblast Reports Stem Cells Regrow Knee Cartilage in Postmenopausal Ewes With OA; Repair Nonhealing Bones in Humans
Mesoblast, a regenerative medicine company developing treatments for orthopaedic conditions, announced successful preclinical trial results showing that its proprietary adult stem cells regenerated and regrew damaged knee cartilage...

Wednesday Aug 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 05, 2008
Frankincense Extract Safe, Effective in OA
An enriched extract of frankincense reduced pain and improved physical functioning in people with osteoarthritis (OA) in just 7 days…

Friday Aug 01, 2008
Tiny Mitochondria May Have Big Role in OA
Mitochondrial dysfunction appears to play a major role in knee OA, and mitochondrial DNA haplotypes partly determine whether OA will develop and its severity...

Thursday Jul 31, 2008
Antidepressants Pass Analgesic Muster for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Back Pain
Antidepressants can relieve the pain associated with some rheumatic conditions including fibromyalgia and chronic low back pain, but they may not have such pain-killing effects in other related diseases…

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...

Thursday Jul 17, 2008
New OA-Associated Gene Points to β-Tubulin Connection
Variants in a gene called DVWA may increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis...

Wednesday Jun 25, 2008
Exercise Helps Prevent Knee OA in the Young and the Young at Heart
Moderate exercise may help prevent knee osteoarthritis (OA) in young and middle-aged individuals…

Thursday Jun 19, 2008
Influence of Musculoskeletal Conditions on Oral Health Among Older Adults
Several musculoskeletal diseases negatively influence oral health, but damage can be minimized with simple and inexpensive measures…

Wednesday Jun 11, 2008
Meniscal Damage, Joint Malalignment Predict Cartilage Loss in Knee OA
New research confirms that meniscal damage and joint alignment predict cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis (OA)…

Thursday May 29, 2008
Cane Use May Cut Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis
Using the support of a cane may reduce the risk of the progression of knee osteoarthritis…

Thursday May 22, 2008
Ankle Osteoarthritis is Associated With Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee OA can change the alignment of the entire extremity, leading to degenerative changes in the ankle joint and the development of ankle OA...

Tuesday May 13, 2008
Osteologix’s IND for NB S101 (strontium malonate) to Treat Osteoporosis Accepted by US FDA
The US FDA has accepted Osteologix's IND application for NB S101 (strontium malonate), a dual-acting bone agent, to treat and prevent osteoporosis...

Thursday May 08, 2008
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…

Tuesday Apr 15, 2008
Pain-Fatigue Link May Explain Why FM, CFS Are More Prevalent in Women
A biological link between pain and fatigue may help explain why more women than men are diagnosed with chronic pain and fatigue conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome...

Tuesday Mar 18, 2008
Genzyme Reports That US Data From Large Outcome Studies of Carticel^® Support Long-Term Clinical Duration; Prior Marrow Stimulation Techniques May Compromise Treatment With Carticel
Genzyme announced that almost 90% of patients treated with Carticel who experienced improvement in knee function at an early follow-up, sustained their improvement for almost 10 years...

Monday Mar 17, 2008
More Support for WHO's FRAX Fracture Risk Assessment Tool
The International Osteoporosis Foundation hails the use of the new algorithm called FRAX^™, which is based on absolute fracture risk and takes bone mineral density (BMD) and 9 specific clinical risk factors into account to estimate a patient's 10-year fracture risk…

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

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

Tuesday Mar 11, 2008
Gender Bias at Play in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis
Men are more likely than women to be recommended for total knee replacement surgery…

Monday Mar 10, 2008
AAOS Debates Gender-Specific Joint Implants
Joint replacement experts say implant should fit body, not gender...

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...

Thursday Feb 21, 2008
Women More Likely to Postpone New Knees
Women are waiting longer to undergo knee replacement surgery than men, and the delay may cause greater disability...

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...

Thursday Feb 21, 2008
Computer-Assisted Validation of the Synovitis Score
Researchers assessed the reliability of the synovitis score as a grading system for chronic joint diseases...

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)...

Wednesday Feb 20, 2008
Studies of OA, Back Pain Drugs Reported at AAPM Meeting
Extended-release analgesics get top billing at AAPM meeting...

Thursday Feb 07, 2008
Arthroscopic Debridement for Knee Osteoarthritis
Arthroscopic debridement does not appear to offer any benefit for osteoarthritis aggravated by mechanical or inflammatory causes...

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

Friday Feb 01, 2008
SantoSolve Reports Topical Analgesic Phase II Study Met Primary Endpoint in Patients With Knee OA
SantoSolve AS announced positive results for 2PX, its topical analgesic formulated for subdermal pain treatment in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee...

Tuesday Jan 15, 2008
Anika Enrolls First Patient in US Clinical Study for Monoviscâ„¢ for Knee Joint Pain Relief; Expects Product Launch in Europe in First Half 2008 
Anika Therapeutics, Inc announced that it has enrolled the first patient in a multicenter pivotal study evaluating its single-injection osteoarthritis (OA) product, Monoviscâ„¢...

Monday Jan 14, 2008
8-Week Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program Improves Pain and Fatigue
The Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program, formerly called People with Arthritis Can Exercise (PACE), can safely get older, sedentary arthritis patients up off the couch, a new study shows...

Friday Jan 11, 2008
Earlier Knee Replacement Urged for Women With OA
Women wait until much later in the osteoarthritis disease process to have total knee arthroplasty, and this delay may be jeopardizing functional recovery...

Friday Dec 21, 2007
Galapagos to Collaborate With Lilly in OA and to Receive Milestone Payment of €7.5 Million in OA Alliance with GSK
Galapagos NV, an integrated drug discovery company with preclinical programs in bone and joint diseases, announced that it has entered into a global collaboration agreement with Eli Lilly and Co to develop a novel class of medicines with potential to stimulate bone formation for the treatment of osteoarthritis...

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

Wednesday Dec 19, 2007
Synovitis, Effusion, Bone Marrow Lesions Tagged As Modifiable Factors in Knee Pain
Knee pain fluctuation correlates with changes in several modifiable MRI features: synovitis, effusion, and bone marrow lesions...

Monday Dec 17, 2007
Pain in Knees with Meniscal Damage is Due to OA
Knee pain in middle-aged and older adults who have meniscal damage is due to the  osteoarthritis (OA) that often develops in such knees, not to pain from the torn meniscus...

Thursday Dec 13, 2007
MRI Bone Edema Shows Differences, Similarities in RA and OA
MRI bone edema predicts radiographic progression in RA and correlates with pain in OA...

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

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

Friday Dec 07, 2007
Pfizer, Adolor Enter Into Exclusive Worldwide Collaboration to Develop and Commercialize Delta Opioid Receptor Agonists to Treat Range of Inflammatory, Neuropathic, and Acute Pain

Pfizer Inc and Adolor Corp, a leader in the area of novel, opioid receptor-targeted therapeutics, announced an exclusive worldwide collaboration to develop and commercialize delta opioid receptor agonist candidates, ADL5859 and ADL5747, for the treatment of pain...

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...

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...

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...

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

Friday Nov 02, 2007
Strontium Ranelate May Slow Osteoarthritis Progression
The osteoporosis drug strontium ranelate (Protelos®) may stop or slow the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) and also might alleviate back pain...

Tuesday Oct 30, 2007
Novartis' Voltaren® (diclofenac) Gel Receives FDA Approval as First Topical NSAID Prescription Treatment for OA Pain of the Knees and Hands 
Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG announced that Voltaren® Gel (diclofenac sodium topical gel) 1% has received US FDA regulatory approval as the first topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) prescription treatment for use in treating pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in joints amenable to topical treatment...

Thursday Oct 25, 2007
Galápagos, Janssen Form Global Alliance to Develop Oral Small Molecule Therapeutics for Multiple Targets in RA 
Galápagos NV, a drug discovery company with clinical and preclinical programs in bone and joint diseases, announced that it has entered into a worldwide multitarget alliance with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV to discover and develop small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

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...

Wednesday Oct 17, 2007
Horizon Initiates Long-Term Phase III Safety Study for GI-friendly NSAID, HZT-501
Horizon Therapeutics, Inc, a privately-held, late-stage biopharmaceutical company, has initiated a phase III follow-on safety study (HZ-CA-304) of its lead product candidate HZT-501, an investigational prescription NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) designed to be "GI-friendly"...

Monday Oct 15, 2007
Enlarging Bone Marrow Lesions Add to Knee Pain

Research shows that new onset knee pain was strongly linked with an increase of two or more units in bone marrow lesions...

Wednesday Oct 10, 2007
Health Canada Withdraws Market Authorization for Prexige® (Lumiracoxib), Novartis' COX-2 Inhibitor for Osteoarthritis

Health Canada, the federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, has advised consumers that it has stopped the sale of the anti-inflammatory drug Prexige® (lumiracoxib) and will cancel the drug's market authorization due to potential serious liver-related adverse events (hepatitis)...

Monday Oct 01, 2007
Novartis' COX-2 Inhibitor Prexige® Deemed "Not Approvable" by US FDA; Discussions with FDA to Continue 
Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG announced that it has received a "not approvable" letter from the US FDA for its COX-2 inhibitor Prexige® (lumiracoxib) as a once-daily treatment for patients suffering from pain due to osteoarthritis...

Monday Oct 01, 2007
Vigorous Exercise May Benefit Knees
Breaking a sweat while exercising at least once a week for around 20 minutes may stave off the development of knee osteoarthritis...

Wednesday Sep 26, 2007

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Begins Phase II, Dose-Finding Trial of Cobiprostone, a Chloride-Channel Activator, for the Prevention of NSAID-Induced Ulcers in Arthritis Patients

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc, announced that it has enrolled the first patient in a multicenter, phase II, dose-finding trial evaluating the prostone cobiprostone (SPI-8811) for the prevention of ulcers and other gastrointestinal injuries in arthritis patients treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)...

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

Tuesday Sep 11, 2007
Synovio-Entheseal Complex Seen As Key to Psoriatic Arthritis, Spondylarthropathies
The synovio-entheseal complex (SEC), where the enthesis and synovium come together in a synovial joint, links joint damage and innate immune activation leading to joint inflammation...McGonagle D, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2482-2491.

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...

Tuesday Sep 04, 2007
New Restrictions on Prescribing Prexige® (lumiracoxib) in the EU
The UK (United Kingdom) Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reported that Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG has informed doctors in Europe of new restrictions on prescribing its COX-2 anti-inflammatory osteoarthritis (OA) drug Prexige^R (lumiracoxib), including regular liver function monitoring both before and during treatment...

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
Diseased Blood Vessels in the Bone May Cause or Aggravate OA
Vascular pathology may play a role in the pathogenesis or progression of osteoarthritis…Findlay DM. Rheumatology. 2007; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kem191 [Epub ahead of print].

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

Monday Aug 20, 2007
Oral Glucosamine Sulphate Reaches Blood, Joints in Levels That Might Be Bioactive
Oral glucosamine sulphate is bioavailable in the blood and the joints…Persiani S, et al. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2007;15;764-772.

Tuesday Aug 14, 2007
Novartis Withdraws Lumiracoxib (Prexige®) in Australia in Response to Decision From Therapeutic Goods Administration to Cancel Registration
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia Pty Ltd announced the immediate recall of all doses (100 mg, 200 mg, and 400 mg tablets) of lumiracoxib (Prexige®), a COX-2 inhibitor for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) and acute pain...

Thursday Aug 09, 2007
Does Collagen Stimulate Its Own Degradation in OA Joints?
Chondrocytes are exposed to collagen in OA cartilage but not in normal joints. This process appears to trigger DDR-2-mediated expression of enzymes that further degrade collagen and add to joint destruction...Xu L et al, and Sandell LJ. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;2663-2673 and 2474-2477.

Thursday Aug 09, 2007
Calcitonin Study Heightens Interest in Antiresorptive Agents to Prevent OA Joint Damage
Calcitonin prevents the development of OA in an animal model and adds to evidence that antiresorptive agents can protect both cartilage and bone...

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

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

Tuesday Jul 17, 2007
CombinatoRx's CRx-150 Fails to Meet Product Profile in Phase II Trial in RA; Development Discontinued in Favor of CRx-102

CombinatoRx, Inc, pioneering the new field of synergistic combination pharmaceuticals, announced disappointing preliminary results of its multicenter, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of CRx-150, a synergistic cytokine modulator combining the antidepressant amoxapine and the cardiovascular drug dipyridamole, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

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

Wednesday Jul 11, 2007
Genzyme's Pivotal Trial of Hylastan for OA of the Knee Fails to Achieve Primary Endpoint
Genzyme Corp announced unfavorable topline results from a pivotal study investigating the safety and efficacy of hylastan, a viscosupplementation product, in treating pain in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee...

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
Anesiva Announces Phase II Data Showing Substantial, Long-Term Pain Reduction With Adleaâ„¢ (Formerly 4975) in OA of the Knee
Anesiva, Inc, a publicly-held, late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic treatments for pain management, announced preliminary, long-term, follow-up results from a phase II study showing that treatment with Adleaâ„¢ (formerly 4975) in patients with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee produced substantial pain reduction that lasted for up to 12 weeks...

Thursday Jul 05, 2007
Galapagos Expands OA Alliance With GSK
Galapagos NV, a drug-discovery company with clinical and preclinical programs in bone and joint diseases, announced that is has expanded its existing multiyear osteoarthritis (OA) alliance with GlaxoSmithKline and that it has issued 513,281 new shares for an investment of 4.4 million EUR (approximately 6 million USD) by GSK. In the expanded program, GSK will bring a drug-discovery program against a selected GSK target into the alliance, and Galapagos will advance a disease-modifying drug toward completion of clinical phase IIa (proof-of-concept phase), at which point GSK's global research and development branch will be responsible for the late-stage development, production, and marketing of the drug...

Thursday Jun 28, 2007
FDA Approves New Labeling for Carticel® in Repair of Articular Knee Cartilage
Genzyme Corporation announced that the US FDA has approved new labeling for Carticel® based on the company's completing a final FDA postapproval commitment study...

Thursday Jun 28, 2007
Knee OA Synovitis Linked To Pain but Not To Cartilage Loss
Longitudinal MRI shows that changes in knee synovitis correlate with pain but not with cartilage loss in knee OA and suggest that treatment targeted to synovitis may improve pain…

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

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

Monday Jun 18, 2007
Novartis Reports Improved BP Control With Prexige® (lumiracoxib) But Similar Efficacy Compared With Ibuprofen in Hypertensive OA Patients
Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG reported new trial data showing that patients with osteoarthritis (OA), who also have controlled hypertension, experienced a slight decrease in average daily blood pressure (BP) when treated with the selective COX-2 inhibitor PrexigeR (lumiracoxib) compared with a slight increase in those taking ibuprofen, a commonly-used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Thursday May 31, 2007
Smoking Leads to Knee Cartilage Loss in Individuals With Family History of OA
Smoking leads to loss of knee cartilage and increased development of cartilage defects in individuals who have at least one parent with severe knee OA...

Tuesday May 29, 2007
Biomechanics, Damage Outside Cartilage May Doom Chondroprotection
Chondroprotection seemed like a reasonable approach to OA when the disease was thought to result from wear and tear on cartilage, but it has had little success in clinical trials. Biomechanics and damage outside the cartilage may be the reason...

Wednesday May 16, 2007
AlphaRx and Proprius Report Nonachievement of Primary Endpoints in Their Topical NSAID (Indaflexâ„¢) Phase II Study in Osteoarthritis
AlphaRx Inc (MARKHAM, an emerging drug delivery company, and Proprius Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostic services company that focuses on the area of rheumatology and autoimmune diseases, announced that results from the Indaflexâ„¢ 2.5% Topical Indomethacin Cream exploratory phase II clinical trial for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee (INDF-200) did not achieve its primary endpoints....

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...

Tuesday May 08, 2007
2-Year Results Support Use of New Chondrocyte Graft to Repair Knee OA Damage
Two-year follow-up of a new 3-dimensional scaffold that permits grafting of autologous chondrocyte to repair knee cartilage defects show promising results in both knee OA and knee trauma, and the procedure can be done arthroscopically...

Monday Apr 30, 2007
RA Synovial Hyperplasia Linked to Protein That Prevents Apoptosis
Decoy receptor 3, previously found in tumor cells, is also produced in RA and OA synoviocytes and inhibits apoptosis of synoviocytes, perhaps contributing to synovial hyperplasia and pannus formation in rheumatoid joints...

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...

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...

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

Thursday Apr 12, 2007
Cerimon Initiates Global Phase IIb Study of IL-2 Receptor Antagonist, Basiliximab, in Patients With Steroid-Refractory Ulcerative Colitis
Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of therapeutics for  autoimmune diseases, inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases, and pain management, announced that it has begun enrolling patients in a phase IIb clinical study of its lead product candidate basiliximab (SimulectR, Novartis Pharma AG) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC).

Thursday Apr 12, 2007
Dropping 5% of Weight in 20 Weeks Reduces Disability, Pain in Knee OA
Losing just 5% of total body weight within a 20-week period  — or 0.25% per week — should be enough for overweight or obese patients with knee OA to feel and function better. . .

Thursday Apr 05, 2007
Labopharm Reports Data from Phase III Clinical Trial for its Once-Daily Formulation of the Analgesic Tramadol (Tramadol Contramid® OAD) for Osteoarthritis
Labopharm Inc (LAVAL, Québec, Canada), is an international specialty pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of drugs incorporating it's proprietary advanced controlled-release technologies...

Monday Apr 02, 2007
Nuvo Provides Update on Pennsaid® Discussions with the US FDA

Nuvo Research Inc is a publicly traded pharmaceutical company that focuses on developing innovative site-specific therapeutics that are delivered topically using the company's skin-penetrating technologies...

Thursday Mar 29, 2007
"Emotional" Brain Areas Triggered by OA Pain Might Be Good Therapeutic Target
Patients feel knee OA pain through two brain systems: the ‘lateral pain system,' involved with sensory pain, and the ‘medial pain system,' involved with the emotional aspects of pain. The latter may be a good target for new analgesics for arthritic pain...

Thursday Mar 22, 2007
6000-Patient Open-Label ReAct Study Shows Adalimumab Safe, Effective Alone or With DMARDs in Hard-to-Treat RA
The largest prospective study to date of the use of a TNF-inhibitor in RA shows that adalimumab (Humira®) is safe and effective alone or in combination with standard disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)...

Tuesday Mar 20, 2007
POZEN Reports Positive Outcome for "Safer Aspirin" PA 325 Proof-of-Concept Study
POZEN Inc, a pharmaceutical company developing products for the treatment of acute and chronic pain, announced positive results of its "Safer Aspirin" PA 325 proof-of-concept study conducted during the fourth quarter of 2006...

Monday Mar 12, 2007
Novartis, Nordic Bioscience to Initiate Osteoporosis Phase III Program Using Emisphere's Eligen^R Technology for Oral Salmon Calcitonin

Emisphere Technologies, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the oral delivery of otherwise injectable drugs, announces that Novartis Pharmaceutical AG and its development partner Nordic Bioscience A/S will initiate a phase III clinical trial for the treatment of osteoporosis with an oral form of salmon calcitonin (SMC021), a new drug candidate, using Emisphere's eligen® delivery technology...

Monday Mar 05, 2007
New Study Suggests MRI Might Be Alternative to Radiographic JSW as Efficacy Measure for Osteoarthritis Drugs
Radiographic JSW remains the gold standard for assessing progression of knee OA in clinical trials, but new research suggests that MRI might be a reasonable alternative...

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...

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

Tuesday Feb 20, 2007
Osiris's Chondrogenâ„¢ Adult Stem Cell Therapy Fails to Demonstrate Cartilage Regeneration According to Interim Results from Phase I/II Study
Osiris Therapeutics, a leader in adult stem cell therapy, announced that 6-month interim results from its phase I/II clinical study of Chondrogenâ„¢, a preparation of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors and specially formulated for direct injection into the knee for the regeneration of the meniscus in the knee and prevention of osteoarthritis, failed to demonstrate significant amounts of meniscal regeneration...

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...

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...

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
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...

Monday Jan 29, 2007
Renovis Reduces Workforce by 40%; Will Focus on Inflammatory Diseases and Pain
Renovis, Inc (SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, California), a biopharmaceutical company that seeks to discover, develop, and commercialize therapeutics for inflammatory and neurological diseases, announced it has reduced its workforce by approximately 40% to approximately 70 employees.

Monday Jan 22, 2007
Glenmark's Lead Drug Candidate for pain, GRC 6211, Enters Phase I in Europe; Osteoarthritis a Target
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA, the wholly owned Swiss subsidiary of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd (MUMBAI, India), a research-led, global, fully integrated pharmaceutical company, has applied for phase I clinical trials in Europe for GRC 6211...

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

Tuesday Jan 16, 2007
Horizon Therapeutics' Phase III Trial of GI-Friendly NSAID for Mild-to-Moderate Pain Relief, Including Patients With Osteoarthritis, to be Conducted Under a Special Protocol Assessment; Company Raises $15 Million in Series B Financing
Horizon Therapeutics, Inc, a privately-held, late-stage biopharmaceutical company is focusing on the development and commercialization of therapeutic treatments for mild-to-moderate pain management based on innovative combinations of approved pharmaceutical products that seek to improve safety, efficacy, and patient compliance.

Friday Jan 12, 2007
Lavage With Steroids Better Than Aspiration With Steroids for Inflammatory Knee  Arthritis
Arthroscopic lavage plus steroids provides a more prolonged therapeutic benefit than  joint aspiration plus steroids or lavage alone in knee inflammatory arthritis...

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

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

Thursday Jan 04, 2007
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.

Wednesday Jan 03, 2007
Nuvo Receives Approvable Letter from US FDA for Pennsaid, a Topical Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee; Nuvo Licenses Canadian Pennsaid Plus Rights to Squire Pharmaceuticals, a Subsidiary of Paladin Labs
Nuvo Research Inc announced that it has received an approvable letter from the US FDA for Pennsaid® (1.5% w/w diclofenac sodium solution), a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.

Monday Dec 18, 2006
Genzyme, Anika Retain Separate Medicare Code and Reimbursement Rate for Synvisc and Orthovisc, Respectively; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Reverse Earlier Decision
Genzyme Corp (CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts) and Anika Therapeutics, Inc (WOBURN, Massachusetts)  independently announced that Synvisc® (hylan G-F 20) and  Orthovisc®, their respective hyaluronic acid (HA) viscosupplement products used to treat pain caused by osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, will maintain separate reimbursement codes and rates for 2007, according to a decision made by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Monday Dec 18, 2006
Smoking Exacerbates Knee OA
Men with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who smoke experience greater cartilage loss and more severe pain than men who do not smoke…Amin S, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 December 20; [Epub ahead of print].

Wednesday Dec 13, 2006
Massage May Be Just What the Doctor Ordered for Pain of Knee OA
Swedish massage therapy may help decrease pain and improve function among patients with knee osteoarthritis...

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

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.

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.

Wednesday Nov 15, 2006
Is Resection Necessary? Meniscal Tears Rarely Cause Pain
Meniscal resection may do little to relieve pain among older patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), as meniscal tears are common but rarely cause any symptoms... Englund M, et al. Presented at ACR 2006 Meeting.

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

Wednesday Nov 08, 2006
CombinatoRx Syncretic Drug Candidate CRx-102 Achieves Phase II Trial Endpoints in Rheumatoid Arthritis
CombinatoRx, Incorporated announced positive preliminary results of its phase II clinical trial of CRx-102, an oral synergistic combination drug candidate containing the generic cardiovascular agent dipyridamole and an unconventionally low dose (3mg, below the effective human dose) of the generic steroid prednisolone, in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Monday Nov 06, 2006
Risedronate Does Not Slow OA Progression or Decrease Pain But May Affect Cartilage Degradation
No effect on OA progression, signs, or symptoms seen in 2-year risedronate study...

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

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.

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.

Thursday Sep 28, 2006
RA Skin Problems Related or Due to Disease or Treatment?
Skin problems are more common in RA patients than in those with non-inflammatory diseases, but only steroid-related bruising and athlete's foot appear to be related to either RA itself or its treatment.

Tuesday Sep 26, 2006
Can-Fite BioPharma Licenses Its A(3) Adenosine Receptor Agonist (CF101) to Seikagaku to Develop and Market in Japan for Inflammatory diseases
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 (A3AR) agonists with potent activities in inflammation and cancer, announced that it has signed an exclusive license agreement with a Japanese research-based pharmaceutical company, Seikagaku Corporation, to develop and market its lead orally bioavailable A3AR agonist, CF101 (1-deoxy-1-(6-[([3-iodophenyl] methyl) amino]-9H-purin-9-yl)-N-methyl-β-d-ribofuranuronamide), in Japan for the treatment of inflammatory indications including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but not including ophthalmic indications.

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]

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

Wednesday Aug 30, 2006
Joint Distraction May Delay Need for Joint Replacement in Advanced Osteoarthritis
Temporarily stretching knees or ankles a bit to take the load off cartilage and subchondral bone promotes healing, reduces pain, improves function, and might help some osteoarthritis patients defer or even avoid total joint replacement...

Thursday Aug 24, 2006
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.

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

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

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

Wednesday Aug 16, 2006
Biogen Idec and University of Adelaide Find TWEAK Is a Novel Arthritogenic Mediator; Potential New Pathway in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis Disease Process
Biogen Idec announced studies published in the August 15, 2006, issue of the providing evidence that TWEAK (TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis), a TNF family member, is a novel arthritogenic mediator that contributes to joint tissue inflammation, angiogenesis, and destruction, and may inhibit endogenous repair.

Monday Aug 14, 2006
TissueGene Initiates Phase I Study of TissueGene-C in Patients With Degenerative Joint Disease of the Knee Prior to Total Knee Arthroplasty
TissueGene, Inc. announced the initiation of a phase I clinical trial of the company's cell-mediated therapy, TissueGene-C (TG-C).

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

Wednesday Aug 09, 2006
Low Estrogen Levels Increase Risk of Knee OA in Women
Low concentrations of estradiol and urinary 2-hydroxyestrone may increase the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis among women approaching menopause... Sowers MFR, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2481-2487.

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.

Thursday Jul 27, 2006
FDA Approves 13 Generic Versions of Mobic
FDA approves 13 meloxicam formulations for the treatment of osteoarthritis

Tuesday Jul 25, 2006
Nuvo's Pennsaid® NDA Resubmission for the Treatment of Osteoporosis Accepted for Review by US FDA
Nuvo Research Inc announced that it has resubmitted its New Drug Application (NDA) for Pennsaid® (1.5% w/w diclofenac sodium solution), a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) used for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee to the US FDA.

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.

Thursday Jul 20, 2006
Bioengineered Cartilage Successfully Transplanted in Osteoarthritic Knees
Cells taken from areas of healthy cartilage can be grown on hyaluronic acid scaffolds and used to patch damaged knees, even joints that have already progressed to osteoarthritis....Hollander AP,  et al. Tissue Engineering 2006;12:1-12.

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.

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
New Imaging Methods Show Ligament Damage Is the First Stage of Hand OA
New, high-resolution MRI and PET imaging are bringing the details of hand OA into focus, and show that changes in ligaments are the first signs of disease... Tan AL. 2006 EULAR Meeting; June 21–24, 2006; Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Abstract SP0060.

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

Monday Jun 12, 2006
Galapagos and GSK Form Drug Discovery and Development Alliance in Osteoarthritis
Galapagos NV, of Mechelen, Belgium, and GlaxoSmithKline announced a drug discovery and development alliance in OA...

Wednesday May 31, 2006
NicOx Completes Enrollment Early for Phase III Trial of HCT 3012 in OA
NicOx SA announced early completion of accrual for the first phase III trial of HCT 3012, a novel, proprietary, nitric oxide-donating derivative of naproxen...

Thursday May 11, 2006
"Fossil Virus" Footprints Found in RA

Human endogenous K10 retroviruses, the residue of infections from generations past, are significantly more active in rheumatoid arthritis patients than in osteoarthritis patients or normal controls and might contribute to the development of autoimmune disease... Ejtehadi HD, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:612-616.

Friday Apr 28, 2006
Labopharm's Phase III Study for Once-Daily Tramadol Achieves Primary Endpoint in Patients With OA of the Knee
Labopharm Inc, of Laval, Quebec, Canada, announced that the phase III clinical trial for its once-daily formulation of the analgesic tramadol in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee achieved statistical significance for the primary endpoint...

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.

Monday Mar 20, 2006
Use of Muscle-Derived Stem Cells May Revolutionize Treatment of OA
Due to their regenerative capabilities, muscle-derived stem cells may one day revolutionize the treatment of osteoarthritis, potentially staving off the need for joint replacement surgery in millions... Huard J, et al. Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Workshop 1.

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

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.

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

Wednesday Mar 01, 2006
CombinatoRx Drops Its Phase IIa Oral Product Candidate (CRx-140) for Psoriasis; Drug Candidate CRx-102 Demonstrates Positive Phase II Study Results in Hand Osteoarthritis
CombinatoRx Inc, of Boston, Massachusetts, announced the discontinuance of its phase IIa drug candidate, CRx-140...

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.

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

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...

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.

Thursday Jan 19, 2006
Biomarkers Help Predict OA Patients at Greatest Risk of Progression
A single measurement of serum hyaluronic acid or short-term changes in urine C-telopeptide of type II collagen can identify osteoarthritis patients at the greatest risk of disease progression... Bruyere O, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. Published online January 5, 2006; doi:10.1136/ard.2005.045914.

Tuesday Jan 17, 2006
Timely ET May Help Stave Off Cartilage Degradation in Osteoarthritis
Estrogen therapy initiated immediately following ovariectomy staves off the cartilage loss known to accompany menopause... Oestergaard S, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8-11, 2005; Boston, Mass. Abstract P294.

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.

Wednesday Jan 11, 2006
NicOx Initiates Phase III for HCT 3012, Naproxen Derivative for Osteoarthritis
NicOx SA, a French biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of nitric-oxide-donating drugs to treat inflammation, pain, and cardio-metabolic disease...

Tuesday Jan 10, 2006
Active Shape Modeling May Help Predict Osteoarthritis Fast Progressors
A new pilot study shows that active shape modeling (ASM) can quantify the changes that occur in the femoral head during the course of osteoarthritis (OA), findings that suggest the diagnostic technique may help identify OA patients who are at high risk for rapid progression and require surgical intervention... Gregory JS, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8-11, 2005: Boston, Massachusetts. Abstract P254.

Thursday Jan 05, 2006
New Study Suggests Raloxifene May Benefit Women with Knee Osteoarthritis
A recent study of women with knee osteoarthritis (OA) found that treatment with raloxifene resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the excretion of key markers of cartilage degradation, pointing to the potential curative effect of this agent and long-term improved outcomes for patients with knee OA... Daniluk S, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8–11, 2005; Boston, Mass. Abstract P67.

Wednesday Jan 04, 2006
Oral Calcitonin May Delay Onset of Joint Disease and Relieve Pain of OA
Although calcitonin is an established antiresorptive agent, new research suggests that it also has a role in chondroprotection and may help relieve symptoms accompanying joint disease... Sondergaard BC, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8–11, 2005; Boston, Mass. Abstract P133.

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

Tuesday Dec 20, 2005
KineMed Develops Assays for In Vivo Measurements of Cell and Matrix Molecule Turnover in OA

KineMed, Inc, of Emeryville, California, has announced that its proprietary stable isotope labeling and ultrasensitive mass spectrometry techniques have enabled researchers to measure cell proliferation...

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.

Wednesday Dec 14, 2005
Emisphere's Oral Drug Delivery Technology (Eligen®) Successful With Oral Salmon Calcitonin for Osteoarthritis
Emisphere Technologies, Inc, of Tarrytown, New York, has announced that an independent pilot study of daily salmon calcitonin therapy...

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

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.

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 22, 2005
RA Patients Less Likely to Take Prophylactic Aspirin Despite Increased MI Risk
Despite a growing body of evidence suggesting that the inflammation that is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) increases a patient's risk of myocardial infarction or stroke, RA patients are less likely to take prophylactic aspirin than RA-free controls. These findings call attention to the need for rheumatologists to address this discrepancy in care... Presented at: the 69th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 1904.

Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
Osteoporosis Drug Risedronate May Have Disease-Modifying Effects in Osteoarthritis
High doses of risedronate (Actonel®) may protect against subchondral bone loss in knee osteoarthritis patients with progressive joint space narrowing... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.

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

Tuesday Nov 15, 2005
Glucosamine and Chondroitin May Have Role in Moderate-to-Severe Osteoarthritis
The encouraging results from the recently released GAIT trial are tempered by researchers who argue that the data were drawn only from an exploratory subgroup, calling into question the efficacy of glucosamine/chondroitin combination therapy…Clegg DO, et al. Presented at: 69^th 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.

Monday Oct 31, 2005
Regular Physical Activity May Strengthen Knee Cartilage
A novel magnetic resonance imaging technique used in a new study suggests that human articular cartilage can adapt to physical load, and that modest exercise improves knee cartilage glycosaminoglycan content in patients at risk for developing osteoarthritis …  Roos EM, Dahlberg L. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:3507-3514.

Thursday Oct 06, 2005
Regeneron Discontinues IL-1 Trap Program in Adult RA
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (Tarrytown, NY), a biopharmaceutical company with therapeutic candidates in clinical trials for the potential treatment of cancer, age-related eye diseases, and inflammatory diseases, announced...

Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Mesoblast Limited to Start Human Orthopaedic Trial Using Adult Stem Cell Technology
Mesoblast Limited of Melbourne, Australia, a biotechnology company that develops adult mesenchymal precursor stem cell technology for the regeneration and repair of bone and cartilage, has announced...

Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Researchers Report Promising Findings on Biomarkers for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis and OA
New research has uncovered biomarkers that serve as both diagnostic "fingerprints" for the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis and predictors for osteoarthritis (OA) progression... Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-27, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.

Monday Sep 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...

Tuesday Sep 13, 2005
ISTO Completes $10.8 Million Package to Finance Cartilage-Regeneration Therapies
ISTO Technologies, Inc, a St. Louis–based orthobiologics company, has completed a $10.8 million financing package led by Zimmer Holdings Inc...

Tuesday Aug 09, 2005
FDA Approves Celebrex for Ankylosing Spondylitis, and an Added Boxed Warning
Pfizer's selective cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitor Celebrex (celecoxib) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the relief of the clinical signs and symptoms associated with ankylosing spondylitis

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.

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

Thursday Jun 30, 2005
Doxycycline Slows Osteoarthritis Disease Progression
New study results confirm preclinical data suggesting that doxycycline can slow joint space narrowing in the medial tibiofemoral compartment in knee osteoarthritis, but the common antibiotic did not affect pain...Brandt K, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2015-2025

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.

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

Thursday Jun 02, 2005
Anti-TNF Blockade Modulates Androgen Production in Rheumatoid Arthritis
A new study links TNF to a deficiency in the production of the androgen DHEA in the synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis patients, and demonstrates that TNF inhibitors can reverse this effect...Weidler C, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:1721-1729.

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.

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.

Tuesday Apr 26, 2005
American College of Rheumatology Responds to the Recent FDA Action on NSAIDs
Citing a lack of evidence implicating OTC and prescription NSAIDs in CV risk, the American College of Rheumatology criticized aspects of the recent FDA decision... American College of Rheumatology letter to Lester M. Crawford, DVM, PhD, acting commissioner of the FDA. April 21, 2005.

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
Injectable Capsaicin Formulation Safe and Effective in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients
In the search for alternatives to coxibs, traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and opioid analgesics, preliminary data suggest that injectable capsaicin is safe and well tolerated in patients with osteoarthritic knee pain, without the side effects of systemic treatments...Presented at: 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society; March 30-April 2, 2005; Boston, Mass.

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.

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

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

Monday Mar 14, 2005
Alantos Pharmaceuticals Acquires Funding to Develop MMP-13 Inhibitors
Preclinical studies of novel matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) inhibitors, which target the predominant collagenase involved in degradation of articular cartilage, demonstrate their promise as therapeutic agents for patients with osteoarthritis (OA), according to researchers at Alantos Pharmaceuticals, of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Monday Mar 14, 2005
Hyaluronate Injection Improves Function of Arthritic Ankle
Investigator-initiated pilot study indicates that sodium hyaluronate provides sustained relief of pain and improved function in patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the ankle...72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; February 23-27, 2005; Washington, DC.

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

Friday Mar 11, 2005
Rapid Onset of Joint Failure in Mice Lacking Lubricin, the Main Lubricant in Synovial Fluid
A new study of mice lacking the PRG4 gene suggests that it is required to protect the cartilage surface and prevent synovial hyperplasia...Rhee DK, J Clin Invest. 2005; [Epub ahead of print].

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

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

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.

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.

Tuesday Jan 25, 2005
Three New Studies Further Elucidate Risks and Benefits of Coxibs
Newly published study findings from CRESCENT show that rofecoxib significantly increases 24-hour blood pressure after 6 weeks of therapy, while celecoxib and naproxen do not; two other published studies address COX-2 risks and benefits... Sowers JR, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:161-168.

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.

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.

Tuesday Dec 21, 2004
Cancer-Prevention Trial Reveals Elevated Cardiovascular Risk Associated With Celebrex
National Cancer Institute study results, which showed a heightened cardiovascular risk versus placebo among patients taking the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib at up to 4 times higher than recommended doses, runs counter to recent evidence that the agent may have cardioprotective properties in some arthritis patients... Kimmel SE, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142(3).

Thursday Dec 16, 2004
Pfizer's COX-2 Agent to Include Updated Risk Warnings on Label
The FDA announces important new information on risks of CV adverse events in some postsurgical cardiac patients and potentially life-threatening skin reactions associated with use of valdecoxib...US Food and Drug Administration. December 9, 2004.

Monday Dec 13, 2004
Synovial Tissue Interleukin-18 Expression Correlates With Inflammatory Arthritis Disease Activity
New study underscores the important proinflammatory role of IL-18 in the pathophysiology of inflammatory arthritis, and suggests that treatment that inhibits or neutralizes endogenous IL-18 may become an effective tool in controlling synovial tissue inflammation&Rooney T, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2004;63:1393-1398.

Monday Dec 13, 2004
New Studies Confirm Efficacy and Tolerability of Once Daily Lumiracoxib for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis
New clinical trials data on the efficacy and tolerability of lumiracoxib (PrexigeR) provide evidence that the selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor taken 100 mg daily offers reduced pain intensity in the target knee compared to placebo while improving the functional status of patients' osteoarthritis of the knee...Lehmann R, et al. Presented at: The 9th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International; December 2-5 2004; Chicago, Illinois.

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.

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 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.

Wednesday Nov 03, 2004
Merck Withdraws NDA for COX-2 Inhibitor Arcoxia

Just days after receiving an FDA "approvable letter", the company has withdrawn the new drug application for etoricoxib until additional safety and efficacy data are available...

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
Varus-Valgus Laxity Varies by Gender, Ethnicity in Its Association with Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)
The findings from this large epidemiologic study suggest that the causes in knee OA may differ between women and men, as well as between whites and African Americans... Sharma L, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 18, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Monday Oct 18, 2004
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
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.

Monday Oct 18, 2004
Study: Acupuncture Relieves Knee Pain
Acupuncture may provide significantly more relief of osteoarthritis knee pain than conventional interventions, according to new study…

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.

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.

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.

Tuesday Aug 31, 2004
TARGET Study Shows Fewer GI Complications, No Increased Cardiovascular Risks, With Lumiracoxib Compared to NSAIDs

A study comparing lumaricoxib to two NSAIDs shows that it may be linked to a reduced risk of gastrointestinal complications, and no additional cardiovascular risk. (Schnitzer TJ, et al. TARGET Study Group. Lancet. 2004;364:665–674.)

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

Thursday Jun 10, 2004
Preliminary TARGET Data Show Less GI Risk with Lumiracoxib Compared to Conventional NSAIDs
Early findings of a study show that patients who receive lumiracoxib for arthritis symptoms are 50 percent less likely to experience adverse GI effects than those who are treated with conventional NSAIDs.

Wednesday Jun 09, 2004
Genome-wide Approaches Shed New Light on the Genetic Control of Arthritis
This session, on the opening day of EULAR 2004, revealed insight into the genetic control of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.