Richard Robinson

Intra-articular injection of two widely used plant and mineral extract-based formulations provide long-lasting pain relief in patients with moderate to severe pain from knee osteoarthritis, according to the first-ever double-blind trial of the treatments.

A "biosimilar" form of etanercept is clinically equivalent to the branded form for rheumatoid arthritis, according to data presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.

A blood test may offer a reliable way to identify rheumatoid arthritis patients who are unlikely to respond to anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors, speeding treatment with other drugs and lowering costs.

Running does not increase the risk for knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to study results presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. No increase in knee OA or knee pain was associated with habitual running in any age group in a study of over 600 individuals who reported running as a regular activity at some point in their lives.

Administration of the varicella zoster vaccine is safe in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or other rheumatic conditions who are taking biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, according to study results presented at the 2014 American College of Rheumatology annual meeting.

Adjusting treatment to maintain tight control of disease-related disability reduces mortality in rheumatoid arthritis, according to new research presented at the 2014 American College of Rheumatology annual meeting.

A Phase 3 trial of the monoclonal antibody secukinumab indicates it is an effective treatment for patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) incompletely treated by standard therapy, according to data presented at the 2014 American College of Rheumatology meeting.

The anti-arthritis drug hydroxychloroquine dramatically reduces the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the disease, according to research presented here at the 2014 meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.

Study results show that antibiotic use in childhood more than doubles the risk of developing juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Study results presented at The Liver Meeting 2012 show the experimental treatment leads to high rates of viral clearance in patients with hepatitis C, even in those with compensated cirrhosis.

According to study results presented at The Liver Meeting 2012, combination treatment with ribavirin and the uridine nucleotide analog sofosbuvir achieved high rates of sustained viral response in a range of patients with hepatitis C.

The development of direct acting antivirals has led to significant improvement in treatment outcomes for many patients with hepatitis C. New research has also improved management of treatment-related anemia, helped streamline standard therapy, and identified promising new approaches to interferon-free treatment.

Study results presented at The Liver Meeting 2012 show that administering two direct-acting antivirals results in a high rate of sustained virologic response in patients with hepatitis C who failed previous treatment with ribavirin/peginterferon.

Hospitalized patients with cirrhosis who also have hyponatremia often receive no treatment, or ineffective treatment, and are often discharged with their serum sodium too low.

Data presented at The Liver Meeting show that treatment with a combination of three direct-acting antivirals plus ribavirin achieved virus control in almost all patients with hepatitis C in a phase II study.

Study results presented at The Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012 annual meeting) show that consuming small amounts of alcohol can have net positive cardiovascular health benefits for some patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Boceprevir and telaprevir offer improved clinical benefits to patients with hepatitis C, but a variety of racial, genetic, and other biological factors can influence treatment outcomes.

Study results presented at The Liver Meeting (2012 AASLD annual meeting) show that treatment with tenofovir disoproxil difumarate is safe and effective in this patient population.

Study finds no improvement in cognitive impairment among patients with multiple sclerosis treated with ginkgo biloba extract.

Slow-release formulation of zinc is safe for Alzheimer's disease patients, and effectively raises serum zinc levels, but does not benefit cognition.

Safinamide improves "on time" and other symptoms and reduces dyskinesias in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Study results show that oral laquinimod reduces the annual relapse rate in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Patients treated with Qutenza reported significant relief from pain associated with PHN, regardless of gender, age, PHN duration, or baseline pain score.

Selegiline inhibits MAO-A in the brain of patients with Parkinson's Disease without elevating the risk of hypertensive crisis from dietary tyramine.

Results from the CLARITY study show cladribine reduces the relapse rate in multiple sclerosis patients who have failed other disease-modifying therapies.

Amantadine promotes rapid functional recovery in patients with disorders of consciousness after traumatic brain injury.

Study shows that rivastigmine provides an equal or larger number of quality-adjusted life-years at a lower cost than other treatments.

Patients treated with Levadex, an orally inhaled dihydroergotamine, experienced significant migraine pain relief, even when treated hours after symptom onset.

Study results presented at AAN 2011 show that an experimental oral drug reduces the loss in ambulatory function in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

While hyperglycemia is a risk factor for microvascular complications, most patients die of macrovascular disease, which is strongly influenced by dyslipidemia.