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Among patients receiving the HIV integrase inhibitor raltegravir [Isentress], in combination with other antiretrovirals, most achieved and maintained significant HIV-1 viral load suppression, as well as increased CD4+ cell counts, through to 48 weeks. At the 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) [Boston, Massachusetts, US; February 2008], 48-week results of two identical phase III studies were presented, involving almost 700 highly treatment-experienced patients with HIV-1 infections. These studies, BENCHMRK-1 and BENCHMRK-2, revealed viral load suppression (to < 50 copies/mL) in 65% and 60% of raltegravir recipients, respectively, compared with 31% and 35% of patients in the respective placebo groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody golimumab is associated with significant improvements in the signs and symptoms of active psoriatic arthritis, according to results of the phase III, randomised GO-REVEAL study, presented at the joint annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) [Boston, Massachusetts, US; November 2007]. In the GO-REVEAL study, which involved 405 adults with active psoriatic arthritis, 51% of patients receiving a 50mg dose of golimumab, and 45% of patients receiving a 100mg dose, achieved an ACR20 response, compared with only 9% of placebo recipients. Furthermore, golimumab was also associated with significant improvements in skin and nail manifestations of psoriatic arthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results from two large phase III studies of topical 1% diclofenac [Voltaren Gel] have demonstrated statistically and clinically significant improvements in pain and physical functioning in patients with osteoarthritis. These studies, presented at the joint meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) [Boston, Massachusetts, US; November 2007], revealed significant improvements in pain and physical functioning in primary osteoarthritis of the knee and of the hand. In these vehicle-controlled studies, topical diclofenac gel was a very well-tolerated treatment, and 47.7% of patients with osteoarthritis of the dominant hand rated such treatment as very good or excellent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvements in ankylosing spondylitis previously demonstrated with adalimumab have now been shown to persist with long-term treatment, and the agent has also demonstrated excellent efficacy in a real-life clinical setting, according to study results presented at this year's joint meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) [Boston, Massachusetts, US; November 2007]. In an open-label extension to the phase III ATLAS study, the effectiveness of adalimumab was found to he maintained for up to 2 years, with sustained improvements observed in spinal mobility throughout this time. Furthermore, in a study conducted in a real-life clinical setting, adalimumab was effective and well tolerated, and was also associated with significant reductions in uveitis flares, and with improvements in peripheral arthritis and enthesitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ropinirole CR, an extended-release formulation of ropinirole, significantly reduces symptom severity in primary restless legs syndrome (RLS), according to the results of a pivotal phase III study presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) [Boston, Massachusetts, US; April-May 2007]. In this randomised trial, ropinirole CR resulted in a reduction in symptom severity after just one night of treatment, with this effect sustained over the 12-week study period. Moreover, further analyses revealed that this improvement was associated with improved QOL in these patients with RLS. In a separate study also presented at the meeting, an overnight switch from immediate-release ropinirole to ropinirole CR was found to be well tolerated, with no loss of efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Once-daily adjunctive treatment with extended-release lamotrigine [Lamictal XR] rapidly and effectively controls partial seizures in patients with epilepsy, according to the results of the ARMOR study presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) [Boston, Massachusetts, US; April-May 2007]. Furthermore, in the COMPASS study, also presented at the meeting, the pharmacokinetics of conversion from immediate-release lamotrigine to the XR formulation demonstrated that patients could be switched to the same total daily dose of the XR formulation while maintaining comparable blood lamotrigine concentrations. Importantly, this new formulation may provide more stable serum concentrations, and the once-daily dosing regimen is likely to improve patient compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]