The first phase of a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter, outpatient study demonstrated that treatment with the combination of etanercept and methotrexate was more effective in inducing both clinical remission and radiographic nonprogression than methotrexate alone in patients with early moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

A recent multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial demonstrated that administration of aliskiren provides additional renal protection to patients with hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and nephropathy who are already receiving optimal antihypertensive therapy and renal protective therapy with the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) losartan.

Two randomized, double-blind, phase 3 clinical trials demonstrated that raltegravir plus optimized background therapy was more effective than optimized background therapy alone in suppressing resistant HIV-1.

In a nested, case-control study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, investigators observed that the use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increased the risk of upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding; this increased risk was also observed with the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine. This risk may be increased when the agents are used concomitantly with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and decreased when used concomitantly with acid-suppressing agents.

According to the results of an extended follow-up of the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK), long-term reduction of blood pressure to a lower goal than the standard demonstrates no significant effect on the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in nondiabetic hypertensive patients, except in patients with baseline urinary protein/creatinine ratio >0.22, said Jackson Wright, MD, professor of medicine and director of the hypertension program at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland. These results were presented at the 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, New Orleans, May 14–17, 2008.

The combination of amlodipine and olmesartan was demonstrated to be superior to monotherapy with either agent in difficult-to-treat hypertensive populations in a subgroup analysis of the registrational trial for this combination therapy. These results were presented at the 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, New Orleans, May 14–17, 2008.

An investigational first-in-class dual angiotensin and endothelin receptor antagonist lowered systolic blood pressure (SBP) in patients with stage 1 and 2 hypertension in a phase 2a trial, reported Joel M. Neutel, MD, associate professor of medicine, University of California, Irvine, and medical director of clinical pharmacology, Orange County Research Center, Tustin, California. These results were presented at the 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, New Orleans, May 14–17, 2008.

Lacosamide safely decreases pain scores in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy, according to a pooled efficacy and safety analysis presented at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Chicago.

An investigational 500-mcg dose of interferon beta-1b demonstrated no advantage compared with the approved 250-mcg dose of interferon beta-1b or with glatiramer 20 mg in reducing relapse risk in patients with early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), said Paul O'Connor, MD, MS Program Director, St. Michael's Hospital, the University of Toronto, at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Chicago.