Osteoarthritis News and Research

Latest Osteoarthritis News and Research

Anoles key to medically applicable regeneration?

Anolis lizards first entered Arizona State University biologist Kenro Kusumi's life in 1980 when, as a member of a junior curator program, he recorded in his field notebook that he had found an Anolis egg on a field trip. Kusumi still has those notes, along with other memorabilia that document the influence that both his early life and more recent experiences have had on his current pursuits in developmental biology.

15 Dec 2010

VIVUS submits briefing document to FDA in effort to secure regulatory approval for QNEXA

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that the company, as part of its continuing effort to secure regulatory approval for QNEXA® in the U.S., submitted a briefing document to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designed to address items in the FDA's Complete Response Letter (CRL), issued on October 28, 2010. The company also announced that the Endocrine and Metabolic Division of the FDA has granted VIVUS a meeting in the second half of January 2011 to discuss the content of the proposed resubmission.

14 Dec 2010

Unigene enters agreement with GSK to advance oral PTH Phase 2 program for osteoporosis

Unigene Laboratories, Inc. today announced that the Company entered into an amended and restated exclusive worldwide license agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to develop and commercialize an oral formulation of a recombinantly produced parathyroid hormone (PTH) analog for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and plans to initiate a Phase 2 study in the first quarter of 2011.

14 Dec 2010

Depression drug appears effective in reducing pain associated with breast cancer treatment

A drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety disorder was effective at reducing joint and muscle pain associated with a breast cancer treatment, according to a study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

12 Dec 2010

Knee replacement operations cause bacterial infection in the joint

Last year 12 700 knee replacement operations were carried out in Sweden. Most such operations go well, but some patients are affected by bacterial infection in the joint and have to be re-operated. This is a complicated procedure that does not always produce successful results, as shown in a thesis by Anna Stefánsdóttir from Lund University in Sweden.

7 Dec 2010

New robotic arm device for early to mid-stage osteoarthritis

A robotic arm device developed to assist orthopedic surgeons with performing partial knee replacement surgery for early to mid-stage osteoarthritis is now available at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. The technology was approved by the FDA in 2005, and to date nearly 5,000 cases have been performed in the U.S.

3 Dec 2010

Arthritis drug reduces incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers

A widely-used arthritis drug reduces the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers - the most common cancers in humans - according to a study published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (brand name Celebrex), which is currently approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and acute pain in adults led to a 62 percent reduction in non-melanoma skin cancers, which includes basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas.

3 Dec 2010

CDC: Hip replacement surgical procedures are more prevalent in the U.S.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hip replacements are among the most common surgical procedures in the United States; and with osteoarthritis and obesity on the rise, demand for the procedure is expected to grow.

3 Dec 2010

Men with long index fingers at lower risk of prostate cancer

Men who have long index fingers are at lower risk of prostate cancer, a new study published today in the British Journal of Cancer has found.

1 Dec 2010

Data on UCB’s anti-epileptic drugs to be presented at AES annual meeting

New data on UCB's anti-epileptic drug (AED) Vimpat (lacosamide) C-V will be presented at the 64th annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES), taking place at the San Antonio Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas from December 3 to 7, 2010. Data will also be presented on Keppra XR and the investigative epilepsy therapy, brivaracetam.

1 Dec 2010

NSAID Celebrex may help prevent non-melanoma skin cancer development: Research

New research shows the NSAID Celebrex may help prevent some non-melanoma skin cancers from developing in patients who have pre-cancerous actinic keratoses lesions and are at high risk for having the disease.

30 Nov 2010

Study finds light exercise may protect against osteoarthritis

People at risk for osteoarthritis may be able to delay the onset of the disease or even prevent it with simple changes to their physical activity, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

29 Nov 2010

$ESCEO and IOF publish position paper on link between upper thigh bone fractures and bisphosphonate use$

ESCEO and IOF publish position paper on link between upper thigh bone fractures and bisphosphonate use

Leading experts from the European Society on Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) have published a timely position paper on the association between subtrochanteric femoral (upper thigh bone) fractures and long-term treatment with bisphosphonates.

25 Nov 2010

Arthritis Foundation, Covidien join forces to help Americans suffering from osteoarthritis

The Arthritis Foundation and Covidien have joined forces to help advance awareness and support for millions of people suffering from osteoarthritis in the United States.

23 Nov 2010

Convergence enters drug discovery collaboration with Selcia for chronic pain treatment

Convergence Pharmaceuticals Limited, the new company focused on the development of novel and high value analgesic medicines, and Selcia Limited, a contract research organisation, today are pleased to announce that they have entered into a drug discovery collaboration to identify and develop high quality candidate molecules for the treatment of chronic pain.

22 Nov 2010

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy reduces pain and improves function in knee osteoarthritis patients

The first American study that positions Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) as a viable means in managing knee osteoarthritis, appeared today in the December issue of the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AJPMR). The study, authored by Dr. Steven Sampson of the Orthohealing Center in Los Angeles, details the account of 14 patients with primary and secondary knee osteoarthritis receiving three platelet-rich plasma injections in the affected knee at 4-week intervals with one year follow up.

20 Nov 2010

Scientists discover bone matrix plays a vital role in tissue hardening

Scientists are reporting the first direct evidence that a subtle change in the physical properties of a tissue can affect its function. The finding has immediate implications for understanding several rare hearing disorders, they said, and ultimately could offer insight into such conditions as osteoporosis, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

19 Nov 2010

Multiple pain locations contribute to greater knee pain

A new study found that patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee who also have pain in other joints were more likely to experience greater knee pain. Specifically, pain in the lower back as well as foot pain and elbow pain on the same side as the affected knee were associated with more severe knee pain. Full details appear in the December issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

18 Nov 2010

VIMOVO granted marketing and pricing approval in the UK

POZEN Inc., a pharmaceutical company committed to transforming medicine that transforms lives, today announced that it has been notified by AstraZeneca that marketing and pricing approval for VIMOVO™ (naproxen/ esomeprazole magnesium) 500/20 mg modified-release tablets, has been granted in the United Kingdom (UK).

12 Nov 2010

Zalicus third quarter total revenue decreases to $1.2 million

"We made solid product development progress this quarter," commented Mark H.N. Corrigan, MD, President and CEO of Zalicus. "We finalized our development plans for Synavive, and also related to Synavive, we were awarded a Therapeutic Discovery Project grant to help fund Synavive development going forward.

10 Nov 2010