Innovations of rheumatology are being developed to cope with progressive as well as painful conditions commonly caused by inflammation, swelling and pain in the joints and muscles. These rheumatic diseases are the main causes of increasing disability and morbidity rates, rising healthcare system expenses to enormous amounts, reducing patients’ work ability index and initiating clinical trials in rheumatology to supply the society with up-to-date evidence.
Widespread chronic pain and tenderness are the key symptoms of fibromyalgia. Most patients are diagnosed in their middle-age and there is no treatment option for fibromyalgia right now, but some novel medications like Ibuprofen, Duloxetine, Milnacipran or Pregabalin help to reduce symptoms. A positive effect against pain and fatigue of these drugs was proved by fibromyalgia clinical trials. However, researchers hope to develop medications that target an early initiation of this rheumatological disorder and bring them to the market. Additionally, people suffering from rheumatic diseases such as lupus, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis are at higher risk to be affected by fibromyalgia. Secondary rheumatic disorders and complications aggravate the already problematic life of these patients.
A chronic systemic disease recognized as rheumatoid arthritis typically occurs during the most productive years of adulthood. Consequently, researchers work on providing a solution for these patients and manage rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials to test medications like Atorvastatin, Filgotinib as well as Upadacitinib in treatment practice.
While number of patients with diagnosed arthritis is growing annually, osteoarthritis is the most common form, which is linked to ageing and mainly affects the joints that have been constantly stressed. Agents such as β-NGF antibodies, FGF-18, BMP-7, inhibitors of TGF-β and IL-1 are being investigated. Osteoarthritis clinical trials aim to find a “gold standard” therapy but most of the developing medications are still in the preclinical phase.
Another chronic disease lupus is also well-known as systemic lupus erythematosus, which mostly strikes women and similarly to fibromyalgia has no treatment. However, physicians can manage lupus with standard therapies, but this lifelong disease will not go away. Most recent lupus clinical trials focus on the genes along with hormones that play a significant role in the lupus development and immune system.
