News feeds from Medical News Today
NICE Draft Guidance Proposes Treatment Options For Psoriatic Arthritis
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published draft guidance recommending etanercept (Enbrel, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals) and adalimumab (Humira, Abbott Laboratories) for the treatment of adults with active and progressive psoriatic arthritis when specific criteria are met...
Read more
Multiple Benefits To Surgery Reported For Patients With Advanced Osteoarthritis
Total knee replacement (TKR) successfully relieves pain and improves function in patients with advanced knee arthritis, according to a study presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The surgery also significantly improves dynamic balance among elderly patients...
Read more
CBio Secures Another Clinical Trial Milestone
Australian drug development company CBio Limited (ASX: CBZ) announced the achievement of a clinical trial milestone under its option agreement with global pharmaceutical leader Novo Nordisk A/S. The agreement relates to the development of XToll, the potential new-generation drug therapy which could provide safer and more effective treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...
Read more
Knee Replacement In Elderly Patients Shown To Improve Balance
Total knee replacement (TKR) successfully relieves pain and improves function in patients with advanced knee arthritis, according to a study presented today at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The surgery also significantly improves dynamic balance among elderly patients...
Read more
UNC Helps Establish The First National Public Health Agenda For Osteoarthritis
Betty Isaacs of Boone, N.C., knows all about the chronic pain of osteoarthritis and the impact it has on her life. "The pain in my knee was so bad, I would just sit around," Isaacs said. Last year, Isaacs participated in the Walk with Ease program administered through the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center and developed by the Arthritis Foundation...
Read more
Orthopedic Research Society Honor BIDMC Scientist
Christopher Evans, PhD, director of the Center for Advanced Orthopaedic Studies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Maurice Edmond Mueller Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, were presented with the 2010 Arthur Steindler Award at this week's annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society in New Orleans...
Read more
Differing Patient And Doctor Expectations From Joint Replacement Surgeries
While physicians strive to set realistic expectations for patients undergoing knee and hip joint replacements, a new study reveals that doctor and patient expectations are sometimes not aligned...
Read more
Pain Relief For Osteoarthritis Provided By Electromagnetic Pulses
Electromagnetic pulses significantly decrease pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis of the knee, according to Henry Ford Hospital researchers...
Read more
NICE Asks For More Data On New Drug For Rheumatoid Arthritis
NICE's independent appraisal committee has asked Roche, the manufacturer of tocilizumab (RoActemra), a new treatment for moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis, for further additional information on its product...
Read more
NICE Reassessment Of Switching Decision Brings Little Hope For Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) has expressed their frustration at NICE's provisional decision not to allow patients with rheumatoid arthritis to routinely switch from one Anti-TNF drug to another. This is the second time NICE has appraised the sequential effectiveness of multiple biologic therapies following NRAS's successful appeal of negative NICE guidance on switching in 2007...
Read more
New 'Work Charter' Launched To Help 6.5m People With Musculoskeletal Conditions To Stay In Work, UK
Today the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA), backed by leading policymakers and employers, is calling for positive action to ensure people with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are properly supported to access employment and remain in their jobs...
Read more
NICE Consults On Draft Recommendations For Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis After Treatment With A TNF Inhibitor Has Failed
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising a number of drugs as possible treatments for rheumatoid arthritis after treatment with a tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor has failed. This is a part review of NICE technology appraisal guidance 36, and a review of NICE technology appraisal guidance 126 and 141...
Read more
Rheumatologists Have Plenty Of Choice Among Biologic Agents For RA - Where Will Actemra Find Its Niche?
BioTrends Research Group released topline findings from LaunchTrends®: ACTEMRA, Wave 1, highlighting the market uptake of the product at one month post launch. Actemra (tocilizumab), marketed by Roche-Genentech, is a new IL-6 inhibitor with monthly dosing by IV infusion. The study results are based on an on-line survey completed by 77 rheumatologists in late February...
Read more
Celiac Disease: Pinpointing Immune System Disturbances
New research has identified four aspects of immune system disturbance which lead to the development of coeliac disease. Nearly 40 different inherited risk factors which predispose to the disease have now been identified...
Read more
SSRIs Offer Model For Drug Development Opportunities To Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
A new study found that fluoxetine (Prozac®) and citalopram (Celexa®) treatment significantly inhibited disease progression of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. Research led by Sandra Sacre, Ph.D...
Read more
Obesity And Physical Inactivity Poses Arthritis Risk, Especially For Women
Researchers from the Toronto Western Research Institute noted a higher prevalence of arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitations (AAL) in the U.S. versus the Canadian population. The authors attribute the higher prevalence of arthritis and AAL to a greater level of obesity and physical inactivity in Americans, particularly women...
Read more
New NICE Guidance Set To Help People With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Final guidance published today (Wednesday 24 February 2010) by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) means that another drug - certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) - can be considered for some people in England and Wales suffering with rheumatoid arthritis...
Read more
CEL-SCI Study Shows CEL-2000 Vaccine Blocks Progression Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE CVM) and their scientific collaborators announced that the Company's CEL-2000 vaccine demonstrated that it is able to block the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a mouse model...
Read more
What Is Enbrel (Etanercept)? What Is Enbrel Used For?
Enbrel is the trade name for Etanercept, a medication used for treating autoimmune diseases. Enbrel is a TNF (tumor necrosis factor) inhibitor; it interferes with TNF...
Read more
Award Supports Excellence In Musculoskeletal And Rheumatic Disease Education
At the core of the American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation's mission is to attract the best and brightest trainees into a career in rheumatology. To do this, the REF has an extensive portfolio of awards and grants that provide support during critical career stages...
Read more
Contrast-Enhanced MRI Could Play A Key Role In Differentiating Between Common Types Of Arthritis
Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may help physicians differentiate between rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis in the hand and wrist enabling more targeted therapies unique to each condition, according to a study in the March issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology . Contrast-enhanced MRI uses contrast media to improve the visibility of internal bodily structures...
Read more
Walking Linked To Eased Osteoarthritis
"Progressive walking" combined with glucosamine sulphate supplementation has been shown to improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis...
Read more
Differences In Orthopedic Surgical Outcomes Revealed By Medicare Data
The more specialized a hospital is in orthopedic surgical care, the better the outcomes appear to be for patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery, University of Iowa researchers report in a new study of Medicare patients. Among more specialized hospitals, there were fewer serious post-surgical complications such as blood clots, infections and heart problems, as well as fewer deaths...
Read more
Animal Models That Help Translate Regenerative Therapies From Bench To Bedside
Clinical testing and development of novel therapies based on advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine that will one day enable the repair and replacement of diseased or damaged human muscle, bone, tendons, and ligaments depends on the availability of good animal models...
Read more
Group Psychotherapy May Improve Fears In Patients With Cancer Or Chronic Arthritis
A controlled study by a group of German investigators published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics indicates that brief group psychotherapy is helpful for clearing fears of disease progression (FoP) in patients with chronic arthritis or cancer. The interventions comprised either cognitive-behavioral group therapy or supportive-experiential group therapy...
Read more