Free Republic

Researchers show that antibody therapy can be effective against erosive hand osteoarthritis. Using the antibody denosumab leads to bone remodeling and the prevention of erosive joint damage. This is the first evidence that erosive progression can be halted in this disease. While current therapies can alleviate symptoms, they do not address the structural damage in the affected hands. Recent research, however, suggests that people with erosive hand arthritis have other issues as well. Overall, their bones are thinner and they lose bone and cartilage as the condition progresses, even in bones and joints that are not immediately affected by the...

An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, according to the National Institutes of Health. Another 34 million are considered at increased risk for getting the bone disease. A good many of those patients stand to benefit if a new osteoporosis drug from Amgen (NasdaqNM:AMGN - News) turns out to be successful. Phase two data on the investigational drug, dubbed Denosumab, was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The drug was given in twice-yearly injections. A total of 412 postmenopausal women with low bone marrow density were randomly assigned to receive Denosumab, Merck's (NYSE:MRK - News) Fosamax...