Current novel therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of bone loss in patients with inflammatory joint disease target cytokines and other inflammatory mediators. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy is a compelling new treatment currently being studied in clinical trials.
Current novel therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of bone loss in patients with inflammatory joint disease target cytokines and other inflammatory mediators. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy is a compelling new treatment currently being studied in clinical trials.
Nancy Lane, MD, professor of internal medicine and rheumatology from the University of California, Davis Medical Center, discussed new approaches to prevent and treat inflammatory bone loss at the 2014 American Society of Bone and Mineral Research Conference in Houston, Texas.
Bone loss in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multi-factorial, clinically significant problem, particularly in women with concomitant osteoporosis. These patients present with both focal erosions and systemic bone loss. One key factor in systemic bone loss is systemic inflammation and damage caused by circulating cytokines.
In her talk, Dr Lane described how current novel therapeutics for systemic bone loss target inflammatory cytokines. These drugs include denosumab (a fully human IgG monoclonal antibody), anti-cytokine therapies (especially TNF blocking agents), and sclerostin inhibitors.
In one study of the Receptor Activator of Nuclear factor Kappa-B Ligand (RANKL), the use of bisphosphonates improved bone loss, however the monoclonal antibody denosumab improved joint erosions, lumbar spine and total hip bone mass and also decreased bone loss.
Next, Dr Lane reviewed in vivo and in vitro studies that used mesenchymal stem cells to treat systemic bone loss. LLP2A-Alendronate, a bisphosphonate attached to a ligand that directs the mesenchymal cells to the bone surface is currently being studied with promising results. In a mouse model, this novel drug prevents age-related trabecular bone loss. In estrogen-deficient mice, it has been shown to prevent bone loss and improve cortical bone strength. Lastly, in mouse models mimicking inflammatory joint disease, LLP2A-Alendronate decreased bone erosions and improved bone growth.
At this time, a number of Phase 2 clinical trials are investigating the use of mesenchymal stem cells to treat inflammatory joint disease. Most focus on treating patients who are refractory to TNF-blockers, and they vary in the source of mesenchymal stem cells. However, they may be promising novel therapeutic options for patients in the not-too-distant future.
Specialty Pharmacists at the Forefront: Elevating Care for Rare Diseases
May 1st 2024In the US, a disease is considered rare when it affects fewer than 200,000 persons, or 1 in every 1500 individuals, with an estimated total of 25 to 30 million Americans overall living with a rare disease at any given time.
Read More
The Importance of Examining and Preventing Atrial Fibrillation
August 29th 2023At this year’s American Society for Preventive Cardiology Congress on CVD Prevention, Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM, delivered the Honorary Fellow Award Lecture, “The Imperative to Focus on the Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation,” as the recipient of this year’s Honorary Fellow of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology award.
Listen
Diving Deep Into Specialty Pharmacy: Insights and Forecasts From IQVIA’s Doug Long
May 1st 2024Doug Long, MBA, vice president of industry relations at IQVIA, covered a bevy of stakeholder investment–related topics in his presentation at AXS24 on trends in specialty pharmacy, chief among them challenges facing the industry, obesity medications, generics and biosimilars, new product launches, and the outlook for the US market.
Read More
Promoting Equity in Public Health: Policy, Investment, and Community Engagement Solutions
June 28th 2022On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Georges C. Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association, on the core takeaways of his keynote session at AHIP 2022 on public health policy and other solutions to promote equitable health and well-being.
Listen
OptumRx’s Jon Mahrt Discusses “Irresponsible” Drug Pricing for Products With Multiple Indications
April 30th 2024When the same product comes to market with additional indications, irrational pricing decisions result in ever increasing prices instead of volume translating to lower costs, said Jon Mahrt, MBA, of OptumRX.
Read More
Forging a Patient-Centric Path to Revolutionize and Redefine Value-Based Care
April 30th 2024Optum Life Sciences and Takeda Pharmaceuticals are partnering on an innovative virtual care pilot program for inflammatory bowel disease meant to both continue the mission of the current value-based health care landscape and raise the bar for personalized care delivery optimization.
Read More