Inflammation

KOLOA, Hawaii — As interest in orthobiologics continues to grow, Matthew T. Provencher, MD, noted in a Facebook Live event hosted at Orthopedics Today Hawaii that orthopedists need to be cognizant of the exact definition of orthobiologics and where it fits within the specialty.

Akero Therapeutics announced that it has completed enrollment for a phase 2a study of AKR-001, the company’s FGF21 analog candidate for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, according to a press release.

The “no rub, no cone” theory states that excessive eye rubbing is a necessary ingredient in the genesis of keratoconus, which is considered a traumatic condition. Current dogma states that keratoconus is a multifactorial condition whose mechanisms remain to be elucidated, and eye rubbing is considered as a simple risk factor. This is a major mistake from my point of view and an example of confusion between correlation and cause, although usually confusion occurs in the other direction (correlated factors are confused with causal mechanisms). It is important to reinterpret the medical literature and realize that repeated eye rubbing episodes exerted on the cornea, which precede by months or years the discovery of keratoconus, can inflict tissue trauma that alone can cause the corneal deformation and thinning characteristic of the disease.

NEW YORK — At the OSN New York 2019 meeting, Scott Corning, senior vice president of commercial, gives an update on the launch of Dextenza, the dexamethasone-eluting intracanalicular insert indicated for the management of inflammation and pain following ophthalmic surgery.

PHILADELPHIA — Adults with a recent MI were less likely to experience an ischemic CV event over 2 years when assigned the anti-inflammatory gout medication colchicine compared with assignment to placebo, according to new results of the COLCOT trial presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

The implementation of a novel central-line insertion site assessment score reduced the prevalence of lines with local inflammation or infections, ensured timely response to localized symptoms and reduce central line dwell time at a hospital in California, researchers reported.

ATLANTA — Methotrexate significantly reduced the progression of joint damage among patients with erosive hand osteoarthritis, but demonstrated no significant improvement in pain or function over placebo, according to a presentation at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting.

Gilead Sciences announced a strategic collaboration with Glympse Bio for clinical development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis therapy, according to a press release.

The FDA granted fast track designation to Terns Pharmaceuticals for TERN-101, an investigational farnesoid X receptor being evaluated for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, according to a press release.

Preservation of residual kidney function reduces morbidity, improves survival and offers other benefits to patients with ESKD. However, more study is needed to understand the mechanisms of residual kidney function along with methods and treatments that can successfully extend preservation, according to a recently published study.