Clinical

Articles

New indication: Zoledronic acid (Reclast), a bisphosphonate, was approved on May 29, 2009, for the prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

Zoledronic acid (Reclast): Bisphosphonate approved for the prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

Centocor Ortho Biotech has issued a Dear Healthcare Professionals letter to remind healthcare providers that golimumab (Simponi), a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha blocker, is associated with a risk of serious fungal infections.

Golimumab associated with risk of serious fungal infections

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and the leading cause of disability in the United States, especially among older adults. This article reviews nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic approaches to management of OA of the knee and hip.

Osteoarthritis: A review of treatment options

In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, investigators demonstrated an association between treatment with the anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) adalimumab and infliximab and risk of herpes zoster events in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibodies associated with increased risk of herpes zoster

In an analysis of fracture risk associated with loop diuretic use among postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study, investigators demonstrated no significant association between loop diuretic use and fractures or changes in bone mineral density (BMD). With prolonged use of loop diuretics, however, the risk of fracture was modestly increased.

Loop diuretics have mixed effects on fracture risk

The Long-Term Intervention on Fractures with Tibolone (LIFT) study demonstrated a reduced risk of vertebral fracture, breast cancer, and possibly colon cancer but a significantly increased risk of stroke in older postmenopausal women treated with tibolone versus those treated with placebo.

Tibolone reduces fracture and breast CA risk, increases stroke risk

The first phase of a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter, outpatient study demonstrated that treatment with the combination of etanercept and methotrexate was more effective in inducing both clinical remission and radiographic nonprogression than methotrexate alone in patients with early moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methotrexate plus etanercept effective in inducing clinical remission in patients with early moderate-to-severe RA

Tocilizumab, an investigational agent for the treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, is a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody. Because tocilizumab contains a mouse monoclonal antibody grafted onto human immunoglobulin, the grafted antibody is less antigenic and has a longer half-life than the mouse antibody. When administered, tocilizumab inhibits IL-6 activity by competing for both the membrane-bound and soluble types of IL-6 receptors, thus eliminating IL-6 transduction into the cell.

Tocilizumab: A humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Drugs in development for the treatment of adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Drug Watch: Agents in late-stage development for the treatment of adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (July 2008) (PDF)

Treatment options for osteoporosis include calcium, vitamin D, estrogen plus progesterone, calcitonin, and bisphosphonates.

Musculoskeletal/Rheumatology